Cardiovascular
16 markers in this category
ApoA1 (Apolipoprotein A1)
ApoA1 measures your heart-protective HDL function. Higher levels support cardiovascular strength and long-term vitality for men.
ApoB (Apolipoprotein B)
ApoB counts the atherogenic particles that drive heart disease. Knowing your number helps you take targeted action to protect cardiovascular health.
CK-MB
CK-MB specifically detects heart muscle damage. Monitoring this marker supports awareness of cardiac health for men who push themselves physically.
Cholesterol/HDL Ratio
The cholesterol/HDL ratio is your total cholesterol divided by your HDL. A lower ratio points to a more favourable profile and a lower cardiovascular risk. Learn what your value can mean.
HDL Cholesterol
In men, HDL cholesterol is the value that responds most sharply to testosterone, and at the same time the value least is said about. The lower limit sits at 1.0 mmol/l, lower than in women, because men naturally have less HDL. What mainly pulls the value down is not your cholesterol intake but your waistline, your insulin sensitivity and the use of androgenic agents. That last one is the pattern to recognise: a lipid profile in which everything looks normal, except an HDL that has halved and an LDL that has climbed. This page explains when your HDL is genuinely too low, what you can do about it that demonstrably works, and how quickly the value recovers when androgens are stopped.
LDL Cholesterol
LDL cholesterol measures how much cholesterol sits inside your LDL particles. It does not measure how many particles that is, and that distinction is exactly why a normal LDL in men carrying central fat is often more reassuring than it should be. Under insulin resistance, LDL particles become smaller and denser. It then takes more than one particle to carry the same amount of cholesterol, so at an identical LDL value more particles pass through your artery wall. You only see that difference if you also measure apolipoprotein B. This page is about that discordance, about what testosterone therapy does to your lipid profile, and about what a raised LDL means for you personally.
LDL/HDL Ratio
The LDL/HDL ratio is your LDL cholesterol divided by your HDL cholesterol, and a result below 3.0 is generally considered acceptable. For men this is the number that swings most violently on anabolic androgenic agents, because both halves of the fraction move the wrong way at once: the numerator climbs while the denominator sinks. Those two movements do not add up, they compound. From 3.0 divided by 1.30 to 4.2 divided by 0.60 the result jumps from 2.3 to 7.0: more than three times as high, while neither value doubles. Do not expect much more of it than that: no guideline sets a target for this ratio. Its value lies in your own trend line, not in a cut-off.
Lipoprotein(a)
You train, you do not smoke, your weight is where it should be and your doctor has nothing to say about your cholesterol. And still your father had a stent at fifty-two, and your uncle a heart attack. That gap between your results and your family history often has a name: Lp(a), also written as lpa. Lp(a) is an inherited cardiovascular risk factor that stays invisible on an ordinary lipid panel. Its level is more than ninety percent written into your DNA and does not yield to discipline: no diet, no strength training and no supplement brings this number down. So you have it drawn once. A raised result says nothing about what you did wrong. It does say how tight the values you can actually steer need to be.
NT-proBNP
NT-proBNP reveals cardiac stress levels. Monitoring helps men stay aware of heart function and detect potential issues before they become serious.
Non-HDL Cholesterol
Non-HDL cholesterol is everything left of your cholesterol once the HDL has been taken off: the cholesterol inside LDL, IDL, VLDL, the remnants of fat digestion and Lp(a). One number, then, for every particle that can lodge itself in an artery wall, supplied free with any lipid panel. For men whose waist has widened over recent years, this is usually the most honest figure on the form. Precisely where the waistline grows and the triglycerides climb, a calculated LDL flatters, while non-HDL shows what is genuinely circulating. How high your non-HDL cholesterol may be depends on your risk profile. The 3.3 mmol/l printed on your result describes the population and is not a target.
Omega 3 + 6
The omega-3/omega-6 balance directly affects inflammation and cardiovascular health. Optimising this ratio supports recovery, joint health, and long-term vitality.
Omega-3 Index
The Omega-3 Index measures your cardiovascular protection level from omega-3 fats. Optimal levels support heart health, inflammation control, and overall vitality.
Oxidized LDL
oxLDL is the most damaging form of cholesterol for your arteries. Monitoring it helps target the root cause of plaque build-up.
Total Cholesterol
Total cholesterol gives a quick overview of your lipid status. Combined with HDL and LDL, it helps men understand and manage cardiovascular health.
Triglycerides
Triglycerides reflect your body's fat metabolism efficiency. Managing levels supports cardiovascular health, energy, and a lean body composition.
Troponin T (Cardiac)
Troponin T is the gold standard for detecting heart muscle damage. Knowing about this marker supports awareness of cardiac health for active men.