Cholesterol is a waxy, fatty substance made by your liver. Your body needs it to build cells and make vitamins and other hormones. There is “good” and “bad” cholesterol in the body but too much cholesterol can pose a problem.
Lipoproteins include LDL, HDL, Lp(a). Lp(a) is a specific LDL that carries “bad” cholesterol to the cells in your arteries. A routine cholesterol test, also called a lipid profile or lipid panel, measures your LDL, HDL, total cholesterol, and triglycerides levels.3 However, the test doesn’t measure the number of each lipoprotein that can lead to heart disease, including Lp(a). Even if your LDL levels are in the normal range, Lp(a) levels may still be high. This means your risk for heart disease and stroke could still be high.