Get tested with Superpower

**If you’ve been postponing blood testing for years or feel frustrated by doctor appointments and limited lab panels, you are not alone.** Standard healthcare is often reactive, focusing on testing only after symptoms appear or leaving patients in the dark.

Superpower flips that approach. We give you full insight into your body with over **100 biomarkers**, personalized action plans, long-term tracking, and answers to your questions, so you can stay ahead of any health issues.

With physician-reviewed results, CLIA-certified labs, and the option for at-home blood draws, Superpower is designed for people who want clarity, convenience, and real accountability - all in one place.

Key benefits of Lipoprotein fractionation testing

• Reveals the size and number of cholesterol particles beyond standard lipid panels.
• Spots hidden cardiovascular risk even when total cholesterol looks normal.
• Identifies small, dense LDL particles that penetrate artery walls more easily.
• Guides precision treatment decisions for statin therapy and lifestyle changes.
• Tracks how diet, exercise, or medication shifts your particle patterns over time.
• Clarifies risk in people with metabolic syndrome, diabetes, or family heart disease.
• Best interpreted alongside standard lipids, blood sugar, and cardiovascular symptoms.

What is Lipoprotein fractionation?

Lipoprotein fractionation is a laboratory technique that separates and measures the different types of lipoproteins circulating in your blood. Lipoproteins are tiny spherical particles made of fat (lipid) and protein that transport cholesterol and hdl-cholesterol-molar-ratio-test">triglycerides through your bloodstream, since these fats cannot dissolve in water-based blood on their own.

Not all cholesterol carriers are created equal

The fractionation process divides lipoproteins into distinct classes based on their size and density. These include large, buoyant very-low-density lipoproteins (VLDL), intermediate-density lipoproteins (IDL), low-density lipoproteins (LDL), and small, dense high-density lipoproteins (HDL). Each class plays a different role in delivering fats to tissues or removing excess cholesterol from the body.

A window into cardiovascular risk beyond the basics

Fractionation reveals not just how much cholesterol you have, but how it's packaged and distributed. This matters because certain lipoprotein patterns, such as an abundance of small dense LDL particles, are more strongly linked to artery damage and heart disease than others, even when total cholesterol looks normal.

Why is Lipoprotein fractionation important?

Lipoprotein fractionation reveals how cholesterol and triglycerides travel through your bloodstream, packaged into particles of different sizes and densities. This test goes beyond basic cholesterol numbers to show the actual carriers of fat in your blood - large buoyant particles versus small dense ones - which directly influences how much plaque builds up in your arteries, how your liver processes fat, and your risk for heart attack and stroke.

Small particles carry outsized risk

When fractionation shows an abundance of small, dense LDL particles, cardiovascular risk rises sharply even if total LDL cholesterol looks normal. These tiny particles penetrate artery walls more easily, triggering inflammation and atherosclerosis. People with insulin resistance, prediabetes, or metabolic syndrome often show this pattern, which also correlates with higher triglycerides and lower HDL.

Larger particles offer protection

A predominance of large, buoyant LDL and HDL particles generally signals lower cardiovascular risk and better metabolic health. Large HDL particles excel at reverse cholesterol transport, pulling excess cholesterol from tissues back to the liver. This pattern is more common in people with healthy insulin sensitivity and lower visceral fat.

The big picture on particle size

Lipoprotein fractionation connects lipid metabolism, insulin signaling, liver function, and vascular health into one integrated view. It helps explain why two people with identical LDL numbers can have vastly different heart disease outcomes and guides more personalized risk assessment over time.

What do my Lipoprotein fractionation results mean?

Low values of atherogenic particles

Low values usually reflect fewer small dense LDL particles and lower counts of apolipoprotein B-containing lipoproteins, which is generally favorable for cardiovascular health. This pattern suggests efficient lipid clearance and less substrate available for arterial plaque formation. Very low particle counts may occasionally accompany malabsorption, severe liver disease, or genetic lipid disorders, but in most cases reflect good metabolic regulation.

Optimal lipoprotein particle distribution

Being in range suggests balanced production and clearance of lipoproteins with a favorable particle size distribution. Optimal results typically show higher HDL particle counts, lower LDL particle numbers, and larger average LDL particle size. This pattern reflects stable insulin sensitivity, healthy hepatic lipid metabolism, and lower inflammatory burden on the vascular endothelium.

High values of atherogenic particles

High values usually reflect elevated counts of small dense LDL particles and increased apolipoprotein B-containing lipoproteins, which penetrate arterial walls more readily and drive atherosclerosis. This pattern often accompanies insulin resistance, metabolic syndrome, or familial dyslipidemia. High particle counts can occur even when standard cholesterol levels appear normal, revealing hidden cardiovascular risk.

Factors that influence lipoprotein particle results

Particle distribution shifts with metabolic state, hormonal changes, and inflammation. Pregnancy typically increases all lipoprotein fractions. Recent illness, weight change, or medication initiation can alter results. Different laboratories use varied methodologies including NMR spectroscopy and ion mobility, which may yield slightly different reference ranges.