Overview
- A JAMA study modeled 250,000 U.S. adults without prior cardiovascular disease and compared LDL-, non‑HDL-, and ApoB‑based treatment strategies.
- The ApoB strategy would prevent 1,018 more heart attacks and strokes than the LDL approach in the simulation.
- The model projected 1,324 additional healthy life‑years and more therapy intensification with ApoB, reaching 64% of patients versus 50% under LDL.
- ApoB measures the number of artery‑clogging particles such as LDL, VLDL, and IDL, so people with the same LDL cholesterol can carry very different risk.
- In March 2026, updated U.S. guidelines called for earlier screening, stricter LDL targets, and a one‑time Lp(a) test, and they gave ApoB a larger role in risk assessment.