Three tests, side by side.
Up to three tests at once, on the four things that decide whether one is worth buying: what the evidence supports, what it costs standalone in Singapore, how often it needs repeating, and who it is actually for. It opens on the comparison people ask about most — the standard lipid panel against ApoB and Lp(a).
| Compared on | Standard Lipid Panel (Total Cholesterol, LDL-C, HDL-C, Triglycerides) | Apolipoprotein B (ApoB) | Lipoprotein(a) — Lp(a) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Evidence grade | Strong | Strong | Moderate |
| Typical cost (SGD) | S$20–40 Subsidised for eligible Singaporeans 40+ under Healthier SG Screening (S$0–5 per visit incl. consult). | S$40–70 (add-on to lipid panel) | S$50–100 (standalone draw S$50–55; more within a bundled specialist package) — full price comparison |
| Category | Blood Panels | Blood Panels | Blood Panels |
| How often | Every 3 years from 40; annually if on lipid therapy or at elevated risk | Once at baseline lipid workup; repeat with therapy changes | Once in a lifetime (European Atherosclerosis Society guidance) — it doesn't meaningfully change |
| Appropriate for | Adults from 40 (Singapore's national recommendation); earlier with smoking, hypertension, diabetes or a family history of early heart disease | Anyone with a lipid panel, especially high triglycerides, diabetes, obesity, or family history of premature coronary disease | Ideally every adult once; at minimum, anyone with premature family history of heart disease or unexplained high risk despite normal LDL-C |
| Why it grades that way | Why it grades Strong Decades of randomised evidence — statins, ezetimibe, PCSK9 inhibitors — confirm that lowering LDL-C reduces myocardial infarction, stroke and cardiovascular death, with a clear dose-response relationship demonstrated across trials by the Cholesterol Treatment Trialists’ Collaboration. No other test on this site rests on a comparable body of outcome data. | Why it grades Strong Sniderman AD, Thanassoulis G, Glavinovic T, et al. “Apolipoprotein B Particles and Cardiovascular Disease: A Narrative Review.” JAMA Cardiology 2019;4(12):1287–1295 concludes that ApoB outperforms both LDL-C and non-HDL-C for cardiovascular risk discrimination, with Mendelian randomisation data supporting a causal, particle-number-driven mechanism. The 2019 ESC/EAS dyslipidaemia guideline names ApoB as a preferred or optional risk marker, particularly with high triglycerides, diabetes, obesity, or very low LDL-C. | Why it grades Moderate Kamstrup PR, Tybjærg-Hansen A, Steffensen R, Nordestgaard BG. “Genetically Elevated Lipoprotein(a) and Increased Risk of Myocardial Infarction.” JAMA 2009;301(22):2331–2339 tied genetically elevated Lp(a) to a graded increase in MI risk, supporting a causal role. The gap is therapeutic: as of 2026 no Lp(a)-lowering drug has completed a cardiovascular outcomes trial proving that lowering Lp(a) itself reduces events, with pelacarsen and olpasiran trials still running. Testing today informs risk stratification and more aggressive management of other modifiable risk factors — it does not yet lead to a targeted prescription. |
| Citation | — | Sniderman AD, et al. JAMA Cardiol. 2019. PubMed: PMID 31642874 · Full cost breakdown & why it beats LDL-C → | Kamstrup PR, et al. JAMA. 2009. PubMed: PMID 19509380 |
| Read more | Full review → | Full review → Price guide → | Full review → Price guide → |
Reading the table. The grade describes the published evidence for screening an asymptomatic adult, not how useful the test is once there is a reason to order it. Costs are indicative SGD ranges for standalone private-sector testing in Singapore, 2026 — a test bought inside a package usually costs more, not less, than the figure here.
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