Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsWhat Is the Link?TypesNormal vs. AbnormalDiagnosticsAssociated RisksImproving Lipoprotein
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
What Is the Link?
Types
Normal vs. Abnormal
Diagnostics
Associated Risks
Improving Lipoprotein
Lipoproteinsare composed of a combination of lipid (fat) and protein. They have important roles in transporting cholesterol and triglycerides to throughout the body. A standard lipid profile blood test measures cholesterol, triglycerides, high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol.
High LDL, cholesterol, or triglycerides or low HDL indicate that you could be at risk for a buildup of fatty deposits on the walls of arteries or for blood clots that could cause a heart attack or stroke. Usually, medication and lifestyle adjustments can help improve these to a healthier level.
What Is a Lipoprotein?A lipoprotein is a molecule composed of lipids (fat) and protein. You have many different types of lipoproteins, and they all have this basic feature in common. For size comparison, a red blood cell is about 250 times the size of a low-density lipoprotein molecule.
What Is a Lipoprotein?
A lipoprotein is a molecule composed of lipids (fat) and protein. You have many different types of lipoproteins, and they all have this basic feature in common. For size comparison, a red blood cell is about 250 times the size of a low-density lipoprotein molecule.
What’s the Link Between Lipoprotein and Cholesterol?
Lipoproteins carry cholesterol and triglycerides throughout your body. Lipoproteins, cholesterol, and triglycerides are types of lipids, or fats, that have important functions and benefits for your health. These substances help regulate your hormones, energy, body temperature, and more.
Your body, especiallyyour liver, makes lipoproteins and cholesterol from substances in your diet. Your liver breaks down cholesterol, and lipoproteins are broken down as your body uses them.
Often, excessively high or low levels of lipoproteins, triglycerides, and cholesterol occur together.
There are over 20 different types of lipoproteins. They are classified based on measurable factors, including density, size, composition, and testing characteristics. The most common way to classify lipoproteins is based on their density.
Common types of lipoproteins and their uses include:
Normal vs. Abnormal Levels
Since HDL is used to carry cholesterol to be broken down, its role is seen as a “cleanup” that lowers cholesterol and fat levels, preventing these substances from accumulating and contributing to vascular disease. Most other lipoproteins cause problems if their levels are too high.
Tests to Measure Levels
Lipoprotein levels are indicated on blood tests. Astandard lipid profile testincludes triglyceride levels, HDL, LDL, and total cholesterol.
Other lipids and lipoproteins, like lipoprotein (a), can be measured with special blood tests. Your healthcare providers might order them for you if you have liver disease,dyslipidemia, or problems with lipid metabolism (the buildup and breaking down of your lipids).
Associated Conditions and Risk Factors
Several medical conditions can cause abnormal lipoprotein levels. Also, abnormal lipoprotein levels can cause health problems.
Your diet contains the building blocks for lipoproteins. Sometimes, eating foods that are high in fats can contribute to high levels. You also can have a genetic predisposition that influences the amount of lipoproteins your body makes and accumulates. Multiple factors contribute to your levels and health risks.
Medical conditions that can cause abnormal lipoprotein levels include:
High lipoprotein levels can cause heart disease since the accumulation of lipids in yourarteriesor other blood vessels can lead toatherosclerosis, a type of blood vessel damage.This damage does notcause symptomsuntil it progresses, contributing to high blood pressure (hypertension) and increasing the risk of blood clots in the heart (causing a heart attack) and brain (causing a stroke).
12 Ways to Reduce LDL Cholesterol
How to Improve Lipoprotein Levels
Your lifestyle, hereditary predisposition, medical conditions, and medication regulate lipoprotein levels.Diet, exercise, and medication can help improve HDL and LDL levels and other types of lipoproteins, triglycerides, and cholesterol.
Strategies that can help improve your lipoprotein levels include:
Summary
Your body uses lipoproteins to carry different types of fat throughout the body to for important functions—hormone regulation, energy, and insulation. You have many types of lipoproteins that carry different types of fat to and from various areas of your body.
You might get some of your lipoprotein levels checked when you go for a routine medical checkup. Normal or “healthy” lipoprotein levels reflect good health and a low risk of heart disease, vascular disease, and stroke.
If you have unhealthy lipoprotein levels, treatment to improve your health and regulate your lipoprotein levels can include lifestyle adjustments such as diet, exercise, and medication.
9 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Deng K, Pan XF, Voehler MW, et al.Blood lipids, lipoproteins, and apolipoproteins with risk of coronary heart disease: a prospective study among racially diverse populations.J Am Heart Assoc.2024;13(10):e034364. doi:10.1161/JAHA.124.034364Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.LDL cholesterol and triglycerides.Krauss RM.Small dense low-density lipoprotein particles: clinically relevant?Curr Opin Lipidol. 2022;33(3):160-166. doi:10.1097/MOL.0000000000000824Feingold KR.Introduction to lipids and lipoproteins. In: Feingold KR, Anawalt B, Blackman MR, et al., editors. Endotext [Internet]. South Dartmouth (MA): MDText.com, Inc.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.About cholesterol.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.About lipoprotein a.Juul Rasmussen I, Luo J, Frikke-Schmidt R.Lipids, lipoproteins, and apolipoproteins: associations with cognition and dementia.Atherosclerosis.2024;398:118614. doi:10.1016/j.atherosclerosis.2024.118614American Heart Association.Lipoprotein (a) meaning and how does it impact my heart health.Natesan V, Kim SJ.Lipid metabolism, disorders and therapeutic drugs - review.Biomol Ther (Seoul). 2021;29(6):596-604. doi:10.4062/biomolther.2021.122
9 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Deng K, Pan XF, Voehler MW, et al.Blood lipids, lipoproteins, and apolipoproteins with risk of coronary heart disease: a prospective study among racially diverse populations.J Am Heart Assoc.2024;13(10):e034364. doi:10.1161/JAHA.124.034364Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.LDL cholesterol and triglycerides.Krauss RM.Small dense low-density lipoprotein particles: clinically relevant?Curr Opin Lipidol. 2022;33(3):160-166. doi:10.1097/MOL.0000000000000824Feingold KR.Introduction to lipids and lipoproteins. In: Feingold KR, Anawalt B, Blackman MR, et al., editors. Endotext [Internet]. South Dartmouth (MA): MDText.com, Inc.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.About cholesterol.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.About lipoprotein a.Juul Rasmussen I, Luo J, Frikke-Schmidt R.Lipids, lipoproteins, and apolipoproteins: associations with cognition and dementia.Atherosclerosis.2024;398:118614. doi:10.1016/j.atherosclerosis.2024.118614American Heart Association.Lipoprotein (a) meaning and how does it impact my heart health.Natesan V, Kim SJ.Lipid metabolism, disorders and therapeutic drugs - review.Biomol Ther (Seoul). 2021;29(6):596-604. doi:10.4062/biomolther.2021.122
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Deng K, Pan XF, Voehler MW, et al.Blood lipids, lipoproteins, and apolipoproteins with risk of coronary heart disease: a prospective study among racially diverse populations.J Am Heart Assoc.2024;13(10):e034364. doi:10.1161/JAHA.124.034364Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.LDL cholesterol and triglycerides.Krauss RM.Small dense low-density lipoprotein particles: clinically relevant?Curr Opin Lipidol. 2022;33(3):160-166. doi:10.1097/MOL.0000000000000824Feingold KR.Introduction to lipids and lipoproteins. In: Feingold KR, Anawalt B, Blackman MR, et al., editors. Endotext [Internet]. South Dartmouth (MA): MDText.com, Inc.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.About cholesterol.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.About lipoprotein a.Juul Rasmussen I, Luo J, Frikke-Schmidt R.Lipids, lipoproteins, and apolipoproteins: associations with cognition and dementia.Atherosclerosis.2024;398:118614. doi:10.1016/j.atherosclerosis.2024.118614American Heart Association.Lipoprotein (a) meaning and how does it impact my heart health.Natesan V, Kim SJ.Lipid metabolism, disorders and therapeutic drugs - review.Biomol Ther (Seoul). 2021;29(6):596-604. doi:10.4062/biomolther.2021.122
Deng K, Pan XF, Voehler MW, et al.Blood lipids, lipoproteins, and apolipoproteins with risk of coronary heart disease: a prospective study among racially diverse populations.J Am Heart Assoc.2024;13(10):e034364. doi:10.1161/JAHA.124.034364
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.LDL cholesterol and triglycerides.
Krauss RM.Small dense low-density lipoprotein particles: clinically relevant?Curr Opin Lipidol. 2022;33(3):160-166. doi:10.1097/MOL.0000000000000824
Feingold KR.Introduction to lipids and lipoproteins. In: Feingold KR, Anawalt B, Blackman MR, et al., editors. Endotext [Internet]. South Dartmouth (MA): MDText.com, Inc.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.About cholesterol.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.About lipoprotein a.
Juul Rasmussen I, Luo J, Frikke-Schmidt R.Lipids, lipoproteins, and apolipoproteins: associations with cognition and dementia.Atherosclerosis.2024;398:118614. doi:10.1016/j.atherosclerosis.2024.118614
American Heart Association.Lipoprotein (a) meaning and how does it impact my heart health.
Natesan V, Kim SJ.Lipid metabolism, disorders and therapeutic drugs - review.Biomol Ther (Seoul). 2021;29(6):596-604. doi:10.4062/biomolther.2021.122
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