What is an optimal ApoB level?
The short answer
In the clip below, optimal ApoB is under 60 mg/dL.
Most labs call ApoB high only above 100. So your report can call 80 normal while it sits above the optimal ceiling.
“by the time you're in your late 30s or early 40s if you have any measure of apo b that's even north of the 20th percentile that should be completely lowered, so in some ways i would view an apob ceiling of 60 as the limit”
Not every source agrees with that line.
“the level you should have is under 90 but ideally probably under 70 and if you have cardiovascular disease may be under 50”
What each range means
- under 60 mg/dL Optimal
- 60–100 mg/dL Normal on most reports. Above optimal“so fifth percentile from the framingham offspring study was is 62, i just in my mind keep keep 60. 10th percentile is about 70, 20th percentiles 78 so i just think…” Dr. Peter Attia · 37:22 →
- over 100 mg/dL Most labs flag this as high
What ApoB measures
Every cholesterol particle that can lodge in an artery wall carries one of these proteins. This counts them.
It is a headcount of the particles that cause plaque.
Checked against MedlinePlus — Apolipoprotein B100.
Why it matters, on the record
“if you have an ldl cholesterol below 30 or an apob below 40 milligrams per deciliter for a very long period of time i think the odds that you're going to suffer asvd are incredibly low”
Common questions
What is an optimal ApoB level?
Under 60 mg/dL, from a quote on video (Dr. Peter Attia, 36:30).
What is a normal ApoB level?
Most US labs print 0–100 mg/dL. Your report grades you against that range. It exists to catch disease, not to describe your best.
What does your ApoB number mean?
On a typical lab range, up to 100 mg/dL is normal and over 100 is high. Your own report prints its range next to your number, and that is the one your lab uses. The optimal range on this page comes with the quote behind it.
Is ApoB of 80 normal?
A typical lab range calls it normal. On video, the optimal ceiling is 60 mg/dL (Dr. Peter Attia, 36:30), so by that line it is high. Not every source agrees with that line.
Do the sources agree?
No. There is also a case for a different line: “the level you should have is under 90 but ideally probably under 70 and if you have cardiovascular disease may be under 50” (Dr. Mark Hyman, 1:21:04)
What does the ApoB test measure?
Every cholesterol particle that can lodge in an artery wall carries one of these proteins. This counts them. It is a headcount of the particles that cause plaque.
Where the record disagrees
“the level you should have is under 90 but ideally probably under 70 and if you have cardiovascular disease may be under 50”