When we have our annual check up most of us want to know our cholesterol score. But there are different types of cholesterol and some of these are more harmful than others. Triglycerides for example, which could be viewed as a close relative of cholesterol, is also an entity which deserves our attention, as when these are elevated low density lipoprotein or in short LDL, the so-called bad cholesterol, sprouts even more noxious forms called small, dense LDL. These fragments of cholesterol are the ones that obstruct our arteries setting us up for heart attacks and in some tragic cases sudden death.
Experts suggest that if we want to have an overview of our heart disease risk computing our LDL particle number together with small, dense LDL as well as our overall profile including cholesterol, triglycerides, LDL and HDL, the protective variant, would provide us with the most complete assessment.