Measuring a protein called apoB in the blood is super accurate and consistent — more so than a common cholesterol test — so it could be a great option for regular check-ups.

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.

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.

Doctors can figure out certain types of unhealthy blood fat levels—like type IIb or IV—by checking your apoB, cholesterol, and triglycerides, without needing fancy or rare tests.

Doctors suggest different target levels for a blood protein called apoB depending on how high a person's heart disease risk is — 80 if risk is medium, 70 if high, and 60 if very high — and these numbers come from comparing them to another cholesterol marker.