Cardiovascular
13 markers in this category
ApoA1 (Apolipoprotein A1)
ApoA1 measures HDL's protective function, which becomes increasingly important for cardiovascular health as you age. Regular monitoring supports heart disease prevention.
ApoB (Apolipoprotein B)
ApoB measures the atherogenic particles that accumulate over a lifetime. Monitoring is essential for managing cardiovascular risk and supporting heart health in later years.
Cholesterol/HDL Ratio
The cholesterol/HDL ratio is your total cholesterol divided by your HDL. Cardiovascular risk tends to rise with age, and a lower ratio points to a more favourable profile. Learn what your value can mean.
HDL Cholesterol
The normal value for HDL cholesterol is a lower limit and not a target figure: from 1.0 mmol/l for men and from 1.2 mmol/l for women. No upper limit is given. HDL is the amount of cholesterol in the particles that bring cholesterol back to your liver, and the value says most about your metabolism. That makes HDL interesting when you are losing weight, and confusing at the same time. During active weight loss your HDL often barely moves, while your triglycerides are already dropping considerably. Only once your weight has been stable for a while does your HDL come up. On this page you can read which HDL values are normal, how to read them during a weight-loss programme, and why a static HDL after three months is not a bad sign.
LDL Cholesterol
LDL cholesterol is the cholesterol inside the particles that can build up in your artery wall. If you lose weight, that value eventually falls, but almost never first and almost never in a straight line. That surprises many people. In the first weeks of a programme your LDL can even come out higher than at the start, while your triglycerides have already dropped sharply. Nothing has gone wrong: you are measuring a body mid-change, not the end result. This page shows what moves in which phase, when to re-measure to see anything meaningful, and why your result belongs next to your own starting value rather than next to the limit printed on the page.
LDL/HDL Ratio
The LDL/HDL ratio is your LDL cholesterol divided by your HDL cholesterol, and below 3 counts as acceptable. If you are tracking yourself through a weight-loss programme, this is the worst number on your report to read your progress from. The reason is arithmetic, not health. During weight loss your triglycerides fall quickly. Your LDL is usually calculated from those same triglycerides, so the calculated LDL can actually rise. At the same time HDL dips in many people during the first months. Both halves push the ratio up while nothing has got worse. So track non-HDL cholesterol against your own baseline instead.
Lipoprotein(a)
Lp(a) stands for lipoprotein(a): an LDL-like particle with an extra protein attached to it. Its level is more than 90 percent written into your genes and barely changes across your life. For anyone already taking a cholesterol-lowering drug, that comes as a surprise. A statin lowers your LDL powerfully, but leaves Lp(a) untouched and in fact lifts it slightly. So your medicine does not cover this number. That is no reason for alarm, but it is a reason for a conversation. A raised result does not automatically mean another pill; it means a sharper look at what you can still steer at your age: your blood pressure, your ApoB and your blood sugar.
Non-HDL Cholesterol
Non-HDL cholesterol is the one lipid number that stays honest while you are losing weight. Take your HDL away from your total cholesterol and what is left is non-HDL: the cholesterol riding inside every particle that can settle into an artery wall. That matters during a weight-loss programme because triglycerides usually drop fast and early. An LDL result is normally produced by a formula that leans on those same triglycerides, so it lurches about while nothing biological has actually shifted. Non-HDL uses no formula and needs no fasting, so it does not lurch. The 3.3 mmol/l printed on your result is a population reference value, not a goal.
Omega 3 + 6
Balancing omega-3 and omega-6 can help manage chronic inflammation, which becomes increasingly important for cardiovascular and cognitive health as you age.
Omega-3 Index
The Omega-3 Index is especially valuable for healthy ageing, as omega-3 fats support cardiovascular, cognitive, and joint health in later years.
Oxidized LDL
oxLDL accumulates over time and is a key driver of atherosclerosis. Monitoring in later years supports targeted cardiovascular risk management.
Total Cholesterol
Total cholesterol management becomes increasingly important with age. Regular screening supports cardiovascular risk awareness and heart health in later years.
Triglycerides
Triglyceride management is important for cardiovascular health as metabolic efficiency changes with age. Regular monitoring supports heart and metabolic health in later years.