Apolipoprotein B (ApoB)
Last reviewed 25 August 2026 · Evidence-graded review — see Methodology
One apolipoprotein B molecule sits on every atherogenic lipoprotein particle — LDL, VLDL, IDL and Lp(a) alike — so measuring ApoB counts the particles directly rather than weighing the cholesterol they happen to be carrying. That distinction has consequences. Particle number predicts how much atherogenic material can penetrate the arterial wall better than cholesterol mass does, and someone with insulin resistance, obesity or high triglycerides can carry a large number of small, cholesterol-depleted LDL particles while still returning a reassuring LDL-C.
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.
Sniderman AD, et al. JAMA Cardiol. 2019. PubMed: PMID 31642874 · Full cost breakdown & why it beats LDL-C →
Singapore guidance
Not one of the named screening tests
Not among the tests Singapore’s national screening committee names for lipid screening, which specifies a standard fasting or non-fasting lipid panel.
Source: Screening Test Review Committee report 2026, Volume 1 (Academy of Medicine Singapore and Ministry of Health, February 2026). The full national list · How this is used.
What you would actually pay
- Healthier SG
- Not subsidised
- MediSave
- Not among the screenings named for outpatient claims
Source: Healthier SG Screening (HealthHub) and MediSave outpatient care (Ministry of Health). Absence from either list is not a statement that the test is discouraged — only that no subsidy or claim applies. Gross prices compared.
What it costs when it is wrong
- Basis
- No published harm criterion found
- Severity
- Not documented
No published harm criterion found for this test.
An empty finding, not a clean bill of health: this means nothing documented was found for this test. It is not a claim that the test is safe.
Screening harm is not only a laboratory question: the committee’s own criteria advise against a test when “the screening test, or follow-up tests arising from a positive screen, are associated with significant medical risks”. Sources on overdiagnosis → · How this is graded.
Singapore pricing. We have a full price breakdown for this test, using checked 2026 figures from named providers — read the price guide →
FAQ
Is the Apolipoprotein B (ApoB) worth doing in Singapore?
Apolipoprotein B (ApoB) holds a strong evidence grade under our screening rubric. It typically costs S$40–70 in Singapore. Most appropriate for anyone with a lipid panel, especially high triglycerides, diabetes, obesity, or family history of premature coronary disease. The usual schedule: once at baseline lipid workup; repeat with therapy changes.
Weighing this against something else? Compare it with two other tests → · Price it inside a panel →