Understanding Lipid Profile!

How To Interpret Lipid Profile!

Most people know that lipid profile is the blood test that doctors order to check if they have any heart disease risk.

Few probably also know that high levels of total cholesterol, LDL (low density lipoprotein) cholesterol and VLDL (very low density lipoprotein) cholesterol are bad for their heart health and normal levels of HDL (high density lipoprotein) cholesterol is good for their heart health.

Lipid profile tests of most labs include blood levels of total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, VLDL cholesterol, HDL cholesterol and the ratios of total cholesterol to HDL  cholesterol and LDL cholesterol to HDL  cholesterol. The reports also include blood levels of triglycerides.

Normal levels of total cholesterol are less than 200 mg/dL, those for LDL cholesterol are less than 100 mg/dL, those of HDL cholesterol are above 60 mg/dL and those for triglycerides are less than 150 mg/dL.

But the optimal levels of LDL cholesterol are less than 100 mg/dL and those recommended for heart disease and diabetes patients are less than 70 mg/dL.

The normal ratio of total cholesterol to HDL  cholesterol should be lower than 3.2.

The normal ratio of LDL cholesterol to HDL  cholesterol should be between 0.5 to 3.0.

LDL and VLDL are not the only cholesterols that are atherogenic, that is they cause atherogenesis or hardening of the arteries that leads to hypertension, heart attacks and strokes.

Lipoprotein(a) or Lp(a), intermediate-density lipoprotein (IDL) are similar to LDL and VLDL cholesterol and also are atherogenic lipoproteins.

Triglycerides are normal fats in blood and their normal levels are below 150 mg/dL.

Raised levels of triglycerides lead to the metabolic syndrome, hypertension, heart disease, strokes and diabetes.

***

But there are other factors to lipid profile that should also be included in a lipid profile, but are covered by only a few laboratories.

These are Apolipoprotein A1 (ApoA1) and Apolipoprotein B (ApoB).

Apolipoprotein B (ApoB) is the primary protein component of all of these atherogenic cholesterols namely LDL, VLDL, Lp(a) and (IDL).

Raised Apolipoprotein B (ApoB) levels indicate increased risk of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, even if LDL cholesterol levels are normal.

Apolipoprotein A1 (ApoA1) is the primary protein associated with high-density lipoprotein (HDL).

Raised ApoB to ApoA1 ratio indicates an increased risk of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, independently of LDL and HDL cholesterol concentrations.

That is why the Apolipoprotein B, Apolipoprotein A1 levels and the ApoB to ApoA1 ratio are more significant than the  ratios of total cholesterol to HDL cholesterol and the LDL cholesterol to HDL cholesterol.

That is why, when you get a lipid profile test done, make sure that it includes Apolipoprotein B, Apolipoprotein A1 levels and the ApoB to ApoA1 ratio in it.

Also read ‘What You Must Know About Cholesterol’ on this website.