Cholesterol and triglycerides are fatty substances (“lipids”) that are made in the body and found in the foods we eat. These lipids do not travel freely in the bloodstream but are carried in water-soluble containers, called lipoprotein particles.
Lipoproteins were first associated with heart disease in the 1960s. Low-density lipoprotein (LDL) particles travel into artery walls and leave cholesterol deposits, which form plaque and increase the risk for heart disease. High-density lipoprotein (HDL) particles, on the other hand, work in many ways to decrease harmful blockages. As a result, your risk for plaque formation and future heart attacks is affected by the amount of each type of lipoprotein particle in your blood.
Historically, measuring lipoprotein particles directly has been difficult, and cholesterol and triglyceride levels alone are often used as markers for lipoproteins. Unfortunately, the amount of cholesterol in lipoprotein particles varies greatly between patients and even within a single patient over time. This means that traditional cholesterol tests often inaccurately estimate the number of lipoprotein particles present and, most importantly, the risk for heart disease. Many people with low or normal cholesterol levels may have a high number of “bad” LDL particles, even if their overall levels are controlled by diet, exercise and/or medication. A high number of LDL particles still greatly increases the risk for heart disease, whether or not the overall numbers are low.
The good news is that new, leading-edge tools are now available to directly measure lipoprotein particles. Presbyterian Novant Heart & Wellness offers advanced lipoprotein testing to determine the number and type of lipoprotein particles present. This improves our ability to determine each person’s unique heart and vascular disease risk and develop the strongest treatment plan.
