Understanding your LabCorp NMR LipoProfile Report 

At the end of your Cardiometabolic Assessment Report, Precision Health Reports also includes a copy of your LabCorp test results every time you have your blood drawn for one of our risk assessments. Although this report has a lot of potentially confusing numbers and letter, we are here to help you understand what it means.

Lipids

  • Traditional lipid panel includes LDL-C, HDL-C, triglycerides and total cholesterol.

  • High triglycerides are a cardiovascular risk factor.

  • When LDL-C and ApoB disagree, cardiovascular risk tracks with ApoB, not LDL-C.

LDL Particle Number (ApoB)

  • High Apolipoprotein(B) is a well-established factor of cardiovascular disease.

  • LDL can be directly measured by LDL particle number (ApoB or LDL-P) or estimated by measuring the cholesterol in LDL (LDL-C).

  • The amount of cholesterol inside LDL particles is variable so ApoB and LDL-C often disagree.

LDL and HDL Particles

  • HDL-P is the direct measure of High Density Lipoprotein (HDL) particles; it has been shown to be more strongly and independently related to cardiovascular risk than HDL Cholesterol (HDL-C).

  • Small LDL size and increased Small LDL-P are commonly present in individuals with prediabetes, diabetes, and insulin resistance.

Small LDL-P and LDL Size

  • While Small LDL-P and Small LDL Particle Size are associated with cardiovascular risk, they are not predictive of risk once LDL-P is taken into account.

  • It is LDL-P, not Small LDL-P or LDL particle size, that is most important in managing cardiovascular risk.

Lipoprotein Insulin Resistance (LP-IR) Score

  • Lipoprotein changes are one of the earliest manifestations of insulin resistance.

  • The LP-IR Score is a weighted combination of six NMR lipoprotein variables that ranges from 0 (most insulin sensitive) to 100 (most insulin resistant).

  • Multiple landmark clinical studies show the higher the LP-IR Score, the greater the risk of developing diabetes.

  • LP-IR remains predictive of diabetic risk even after adjustment for other factors including age, gender, race, waist circumference, body mass index, family history of diabetes, physical activity, glucose, insulin levels and lipids.

Hemoglobin A1c

  • A simple blood test that measures your average blood sugar levels over the past 3 months.

Lipoprotein(a)

  • Lp(a) particles have an extra protein on the outside of the lipoprotein particle that often indicate greater CV risk than other LDL particles.

GlycA

  • GlycA is a nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) signal that reflects the level of inflammatory proteins in the blood. GlycA is more sensitive for systemic inflammation measurement than the commonly measured hsCRP.

Fasting Glucose

  • A measurement of blood sugar in a fasting state. You are looking for a level less than 100 mg/dL.