What does the Apolipoprotein B test measure?

Why is Apolipoprotein B measured?

Apolipoprotein B reflects the total burden of atherogenic particles and is a strong marker of cardiovascular risk, in many analyses superior to LDL cholesterol because it captures particle number rather than cholesterol content. It is particularly informative where LDL cholesterol underestimates risk — in high triglycerides, metabolic syndrome, diabetes, and discordance between particle number and cholesterol. It is increasingly used to refine risk and to guide and monitor lipid-lowering therapy.

Reference ranges

Standard reference

Risk-tiered rather than a simple normal range; commonly <90 mg/dL desirable, <80 mg/dL or lower for high-risk patients # REVIEWER FLAG: Apo-B targets are risk-stratified and guideline-dependent — reviewer to confirm Access Medical Laboratories reference and the platform's preferred risk thresholds before publication.

Functional medicine optimal

Lower is generally better; high-risk patients are often targeted to <80 mg/dL or below # REVIEWER FLAG: Confirm platform's optimal/target framing against current guidelines.

Units

mg/dL, g/L

Reference ranges vary by laboratory and assay platform. Interpret in context of the issuing laboratory's stated range.