Lipids are a broad biochemical category that includes cholesterol, triglycerides, phospholipids and sterols. In blood, these molecules travel inside lipoprotein particles (HDL, LDL, VLDL and others) and are often reported as total cholesterol, LDL-C, HDL-C, triglycerides, apolipoproteins (ApoB, ApoA1), and specialized markers like lipoprotein(a), small dense LDL, ceramides, and plant or cholesterol-derived sterols. Clinical lipid testing evolved from simple cholesterol assays in the mid-20th century to today's multi-marker panels. Advanced markers were developed to capture particle number, particle size, and lipid-related pathways (synthesis vs absorption), offering more nuanced information than quantity alone about how lipids interact with metabolism, inflammation, and vascular biology.

Elevated lipid measures—higher LDL particle number or ApoB, raised triglycerides, increased small dense LDL, high Lp(a), or elevated ceramides—are associated with patterns of greater atherogenic potential, metabolic strain, or active cholesterol-related processes. These elevations often appear alongside markers of inflammation, insulin resistance, or altered sterol metabolism and suggest a higher burden of circulating atherogenic particles. Low lipid measures can reflect different biology: low cholesterol or low lipoprotein levels may be linked to reduced dietary intake, malabsorption, certain genetic traits, liver dysfunction, or effects of other health factors. Low values may also change the interpretation of other markers, so lipid results are most informative when read together with metabolic, inflammatory, hepatic, and genetic data in the full Cardio Zoomer panel.

Cardio Zoomer includes lipids to assess both the quantity and quality of circulating fats and particles. By measuring cholesterol, triglycerides, ApoB, Lp(a), particle size, ceramides and sterols, the marker set distinguishes burden versus behavior of lipids and helps reveal whether metabolic, inflammatory, or genetic factors are driving patterns—supporting more personalized risk mapping and clinical decision-making.