If your 'bad' cholesterol numbers don’t all match up, measuring apoB or non-HDL cholesterol might tell you more about your heart disease risk than the usual LDL number — high apoB means higher risk, even if LDL looks low.

People with higher levels of 'bad' cholesterol in their blood are more likely to have heart attacks or other heart problems.

ApoB is a better blood test for predicting heart disease than standard cholesterol tests because it counts the actual particles that clog arteries, while cholesterol numbers can be misleading since each particle carries different amounts of cholesterol from person to person.

Measuring apoB might give a better picture of heart disease risk than LDL cholesterol because it counts the actual number of harmful particles in your blood, not just how much cholesterol they carry.

High LDL cholesterol doesn’t actually raise your chances of getting heart disease, according to some studies that question the long-standing belief about cholesterol and heart health.

In a rare blood fat disorder called type III hyperlipoproteinemia, heart disease risk comes from leftover fat particles in the blood — not from the usual risk marker. Even if your 'bad particle' count looks okay, these leftovers can still clog arteries, so doctors can't rely on that usual test here.