Apolipoprotein B: its advantages in the assessment of atherosclerotic cardiovascular risk

The determination of apolipoprotein B (Apo B) in the evaluation and treatment of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ACVD) is analyzed, referring to three aspects: a) marker of atherogenic risk; b) advantages over lipids; c) utility in the biochemical laboratory. Apo B participates in atherogenesis. Atherogenic lipoprotein particles are usually evaluated for their cholesterol content, but their mass per particle is highly variable. However, each particle has an Apo B molecule so it is an estimator of its number and a marker of risk. Apo B plays a causal role and explains better than LDL cholesterol (LDL-C) the etiological relationship with the disease; it has a greater discriminating capacity than lipids, family aggregation and it is a better parameter for the management of treatment in the presence of LDL-C<70 mg/dL, moderate hypertriglyceridemia, metabolic syndrome, obesity, and diabetes. It can be determined without prior fasting with traceability to a reference standard, comparability and harmony of results between laboratories and lower analytical error than non-HDL cholesterol. LDL-C remains the primary endpoint for the evaluation and treatment of atherogenic risk. By consensus, cut-off values for Apo B have been reported according to ACVD risk categories and its use was recommended when it is possible to determine it. Apo B is an excellent marker of atherogenic risk, it has greater accuracy and precision than lipids and its inclusion in the management of specific clinical cases contributes to improving the quality of treatment.