About 50% of people who have suffered heart attacks have “normal” cholesterol numbers (NHLB I – The National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute).  It is the number and density (size) of Low Density Lipoprotein cholesterol, “LDL” or “bad” cholesterol that provides the clearest picture of a person’s cardiovascular risk.  The smaller LDL particles carry cholesterol throughout the body, but it is the large number and smaller density of these particles, not the cholesterol within them, that causes plaque buildup in the arteries.  People who have low High Density Lipoprotein (HDL or “good” cholesterol) numbers or high triglycerides are more likely to be at a greater risk of cardiovascular disease and undetected risk factors such as very small, dense lipoproteins.

The LPP+™ test is the most advanced test available to predict heart disease risk, much more so than standard cholesterol testing. It measures the lipoprotein particles directly giving a more precise evaluation of their size. High numbers of small, dense LDL particles can ultimately cause cardiovascular disease. The National Cholesterol Education Program (NCEP) has identified new lipoprotein risk factors to help identify potential heart attack victims with these “normal” numbers. The new risk factors, Remnant Lipoprotein (RLP), Small Dense LDL, Lipoprotein (a) (Lp(a), and HDL 2b & 3, will not show up in a standard cholesterol test. The first three lipoproteins are high in 25% of the population, while the last, the “good” HDL types, large, buoyant particles that pick up excess cholesterol from the blood, is low in 25% of the population but those who haven’t had the LPP+™ test do not know whether they are at risk.