Included in your membership
ApoA1
All NiaHealth tests are processed in Canadian-certified labs, which are highly trusted by the medical community for their accuracy and reliability. Blood and urine samples are collected by licensed medical professionals and processed using state-of-the-art equipment. NiaHealth is SOC2 Type 2 certified.
What is it?
ApoA1 is the main protein found on HDL ("good cholesterol") particles. It helps remove excess cholesterol from artery walls and transport it back to the liver, where it can be cleared from the body.
Why it matters
Lower ApoA1 levels are linked to a higher risk of heart attacks and strokes. ApoA1 is closely related to HDL-C, but reflects the protein content of HDL particles rather than just how much cholesterol they carry, which can give a more complete picture of cardiovascular risk.
Unlike what was previously understood, the relationship between ApoA1 and health risk is U-shaped — very high levels have also been linked to increased mortality in large population studies. This means there is an optimal range, not simply a "higher is better" pattern.
Reference ranges
The NiaHealth ranges are sex-specific and based on large population data. Both very low and very high results are flagged as at-risk. ApoA1 is best interpreted alongside your other lipid results — it is not a treatment target on its own, and there are currently no treatments recommended specifically to raise or lower ApoA1.
Faaborg-Andersen, C.C., Liu, C., Subramaniyam, V., Desai, S.R., Sun, Y.V., Wilson, P.W.F., Sperling, L.S., & Quyyumi, A.A. (2023). U-shaped relationship between apolipoprotein A1 levels and mortality risk in men and women. European Journal of Preventive Cardiology, 30(4), 293–304. https://doi.org/10.1093/eurjpc/zwac263
Xu, X., Song, Z., Mao, B., & Xu, G. (2022). Apolipoprotein A1-related proteins and reverse cholesterol transport in antiatherosclerosis therapy: Recent progress and future perspectives. Cardiovascular Therapeutics, 2022, 4610834. https://doi.org/10.1155/2022/4610834
This information is educational and does not replace medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Your results should be interpreted with a qualified healthcare professional in the context of your health history.
