Apolipoprotein B (APO B)

Apolipoprotein B is a protein in your body which promotes formation of plaques in the blood vessels. It increases the risk of developing heart disease. This test is also used to monitor the response if you are on statin therapy. It is a better indicator of cardiovascular risk as compared to LDL cholesterol.

Apolipoprotein B (Apo B) is an important component of lipid profife & as per Lipid Association of India (LAI 2020), it should be a target goal. ApoB is of 2 types namely Apo B100 which comes from the liver and is the major component and Apo B48 which comes from the intestine and is a minor component. Indians have higher levels of Apo B as compared to westerners. It is recommended to be measured under the following conditions: to assess ASCVD risk in patients with Diabetes/metabolic syndrome/obesity/high triglyceride or very low LDL-C concentration; in low and moderate ASCVD risk group, Apo B is moderate non-conventional risk factor; in high ASCVD risk subjects, after LDL-C and Non-HDL-C goals have been achieved. It is essential for the diagnosis of Type III hyperlipidemias.