09/15/2026
You can know your LDL cholesterol and still be missing an important part of the story.
This is why I want people to know their ApoB.
LDL-C tells us how much cholesterol is being carried inside LDL particles.
ApoB helps tell us how many atherogenic particles are carrying it.
Those are not always the same thing.
Think about the tunnel in the video:
20 passengers in 4 cars.
Pretty easy traffic.
20 passengers in 20 cars.
Same number of passengers.
A hell of a lot more traffic.
That’s the distinction.
Two people can have similar LDL cholesterol levels while having very different numbers of atherogenic particles circulating.
And when we’re thinking about atherosclerosis, particle number matters.
Those ApoB-containing particles are the vehicles that can enter and become retained in the arterial wall, where plaque development can begin.
So I don’t just want to know:
How much cholesterol are you carrying?
I also want to know:
HOW MANY DAMN CARS ARE ON THE ROAD?
That’s ApoB.
Your cholesterol panel isn’t wrong.
It’s useful information.
But it may not be the whole story.
If you’ve had your cholesterol checked but have never had ApoB measured, ask about it.
Because sometimes understanding your health isn’t about getting more data.
It’s knowing which number changes the way you understand the rest of it.