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Apolipoprotein B Test
Apolipoprotein B, a count of the cholesterol-carrying particles that can lodge in an artery wall.
- Doctor-reviewed results
- Laboratory analysis
- 2 to 3 working days from lab receipt
- No fasting required
What’s included
1 marker measured
Apolipoprotein B
A direct count of the cholesterol-carrying particles that can lodge in artery walls, because each one carries a single ApoB tag. It can show risk even when a standard cholesterol result looks unremarkable.
Overview
ApoB counts the cholesterol-carrying particles that actually lodge in artery walls, and one apoB sits on every one of them. Most of the time it agrees with LDL cholesterol. Where it does not, usually in people with high triglycerides or weight around the middle, apoB is the number that reflects risk better, which is why European guidance suggests it for people with high triglycerides, diabetes or obesity.
LDL cholesterol measures how much cholesterol the particles are carrying. ApoB counts the particles themselves, because every one of them carries exactly one apoB molecule. The two usually agree, but in people with a high triglyceride level or a large waist the particles can be small and numerous while the LDL number looks reassuring. That gap is the reason apoB is measured, and a doctor reads it alongside the rest of your cholesterol breakdown.
Who this is for and who it isn’t
Who it’s for
- Adults aged 18 and over
- People with borderline cholesterol who want the particle count as well
- Anyone with high triglycerides or weight around the middle
Who it isn’t for
- This is a single marker and not a lipid profile: it gives you no HDL, no LDL and no triglycerides, which are the numbers UK guidance is written around. On its own it will not change what a GP does. If you have not had a full cholesterol breakdown, the Heart & Sugar Check or one of the cardiac panels is the more useful buy, and both include the wider picture.
- Anyone with a new, severe or worsening symptom: contact your GP or call NHS 111. A test you buy today is not a substitute for being examined.
Common reasons people choose this test
- A borderline cholesterol result you want a second angle on
- High triglycerides or weight around the middle
- Heart disease in the family before 60
- Already on cholesterol treatment and wanting a fuller measure of progress
- Type 2 diabetes or prediabetes
These are reasons people choose to test, not signs that something is wrong. A result is one part of a picture your doctor puts together with your history and an examination.
What your result looks like
Every result is shown with the unit and the reference range exactly as the laboratory reported it, with the doctor’s note underneath.
- Apolipoprotein B▲ High
- Result
- 1.15 g/L
- Range
- <1.0
| Marker | Result | Units | Range | Flag |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apolipoprotein B | 1.15 | g/L | <1.0 | ▲ High |
Doctor’s note (example)
apoB is raised, meaning more cholesterol-carrying particles than the LDL number alone suggests. It strengthens the case for acting on cholesterol.
Values above are examples. Your report shows your own results with the laboratory’s units and reference range for your age and sex, reviewed, signed and released by a GMC-registered doctor.
How it works
- Your kit arrivesPosted to your door, with instructions and what you need to send your sample back.
- You take your sampleFinger-prick sample at home, or a clinic blood draw, your choice
- The laboratory analyses itYour sample is processed for the measurements included in this test. Lab processing typically takes 2 to 3 working days from receipt of your sample.
- A doctor reviews and releases itA GMC-registered doctor reads every result and signs the report before it reaches you.
- Sample
- Home finger-prick kit
- Preparation
- No fasting required
- Who it's for
- Any sex · ages 18+
How to prepare
What we can and can’t tell you
The reference range beside each result is the laboratory’s own. A result in range is not a clean bill of health and a result outside it is not a diagnosis. Most ranges cover about 95% of healthy people, so about 1 in 20 healthy people fall just outside any one range. No test result replaces an examination or your own doctor’s judgement, and none of these panels is a cancer screening programme.
Read the full note
The reference range printed beside each of your results is the laboratory's own, and it is the range that applies to your result. We do not apply a second range of our own, and we do not tell you that a result the laboratory reported as normal is nonetheless too low or too high. If you see a claim elsewhere that your result ought to sit inside a narrower band than the one the laboratory printed, treat it with caution and ask your doctor.
Some assays cannot give an exact figure above or below a certain point, and those results are reported the way the laboratory sends them, for example as a value greater than a stated number. A result in range is not a clean bill of health, and a result outside a range is not a diagnosis: most reference ranges are set to cover about 95% of healthy people, so some healthy people fall just outside them. No blood test replaces an examination, a scan or your own doctor's judgement, and none of these panels is a screening programme for cancer.
If you have a symptom that is new, severe, or getting worse, contact your GP or NHS 111 rather than waiting for a test result. In an emergency call 999.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need to fast?
No. ApoB is one of the lipid measurements that holds up well without fasting. If you are having triglycerides measured at the same time, a fasted sample is still preferred for those.
How is it different from LDL cholesterol?
LDL measures how much cholesterol the particles carry. ApoB counts the particles. Two people with the same LDL can have very different particle counts, and the particle count is thought to track risk more closely.
What is a reasonable target?
That depends on your overall risk, so there is no single figure. The laboratory prints its own reference range beside your result, and the reviewing doctor explains what your number means alongside the rest of your cholesterol picture.
Should I have lipoprotein(a) as well?
They answer different questions. ApoB reflects how many risk particles you have now and responds to treatment; Lp(a) is inherited and measured once. Some people choose both, and the Advanced Heart Health panel includes them together.
How long do results take?
The laboratory typically takes 2 to 3 working days from receiving your sample. This does not include kit delivery, sample collection or return postage. A doctor reviews your results before they are released.
Can I choose a home kit or a clinic?
Both, it is your choice at checkout. Either collect a finger-prick sample at home with the posted kit and send it back as the instructions explain, or book a clinic appointment and have a trained clinician take the sample for you.
Is a doctor involved?
Yes. Every result is reviewed by a GMC-registered doctor who signs it off and explains what it means and what to do next.
Is it confidential?
Your results are available through your secure patient portal. Our privacy policy explains how your information is handled and when it may be shared to provide your care.
What happens to my sample and results?
Your sample is analysed at a UKAS-accredited laboratory (ISO 15189). A GMC-registered doctor then reads every result and signs the report before it is released, so nothing reaches you unreviewed. There is no option to receive results without a doctor reading them first. The report arrives in your secure portal in plain English: each result with its unit and the laboratory's own reference range, and the doctor's note on what the set means read together. If a result sits outside its range the report says so and explains what usually happens next, which is most often a conversation with your own GP, who can act on it alongside your history and examination. Most reference ranges are set to cover about 95% of healthy people, so about 1 in 20 healthy people fall just outside any one of them. On a report with many results it is common for one to sit just outside its range, and a single number on its own rarely tells the whole story. If a result needs urgent attention, the reviewing doctor is alerted straight away and we contact you by phone the same working day rather than leaving it in the portal for you to find. If a specific result needs rechecking, the reviewing doctor says so in your report.
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