All lab testsHeart Health
Test the markers that actually predict cardiovascular risk — not just total cholesterol. Lipid particle size, ApoB, Lp(a), and inflammation markers all run at the same Quest and Labcorp facilities your doctor uses, with results back in 1-3 business days.
18 options in this category · browse every category
18 tests & panels
Measures low-level inflammation in blood vessels — a key marker for heart attack and stroke risk.
$65 at other labs
$26.99
+ $6 lab processing fee
Measures total cholesterol, HDL, LDL, and triglycerides to assess your cardiovascular risk.
$59 at other labs
$19.99
+ $6 lab processing fee
Beyond basic cholesterol — the advanced cardiac screen
$215 at other labs
$99.99
+ $6 lab processing fee
Nuclear magnetic resonance lipid profiling — the most advanced cholesterol test available with particle-level detail.
$150 at other labs
$63.99
+ $6 lab processing fee
Goes beyond standard cholesterol — adds LDL particle number, size, Apolipoprotein B, and Lp(a) for a deeper look at cardiovascular risk.
$120 at other labs
$90.99
+ $6 lab processing fee
Measures ApoB — considered by many cardiologists to be the single best predictor of cardiovascular risk.
$45 at other labs
$29.99
+ $6 lab processing fee
Identifies your ApoE genotype (E2, E3, E4) to assess genetic cardiovascular and cholesterol risk.
$199 at other labs
$124.99
+ $6 lab processing fee
The main protein in HDL — paired with ApoB, the ApoB/ApoA-1 ratio is one of the strongest lipid predictors of heart attack risk.
$29.99
+ $6 lab processing fee
Quest's Cardio IQ® lipid panel — total cholesterol, HDL, LDL and triglycerides reported under the Cardio IQ cardiovascular line, with non-HDL cholesterol and the cholesterol/HDL ratio.
$59 at other labs
$19.99
+ $6 lab processing fee
Measures fibrinogen, a clotting protein and independent cardiovascular risk factor linked to inflammation.
$30 at other labs
$22.99
+ $6 lab processing fee
Elevated homocysteine is linked to heart disease, stroke, and B-vitamin deficiency.
$45 at other labs
$27.99
+ $6 lab processing fee
Standard lipid panel plus calculated LDL/HDL ratio for a more nuanced view of your cardiovascular risk profile.
$52 at other labs
$24.99
+ $6 lab processing fee
Measures Lp(a) — a genetically determined cardiovascular risk factor that standard lipid panels miss.
$55 at other labs
$32.99
+ $6 lab processing fee
An enzyme released by white blood cells inside inflamed arteries — an early marker of unstable plaque, independent of cholesterol.
$44.99
+ $6 lab processing fee
Key biomarker for heart failure risk — helps evaluate shortness of breath and cardiac function.
$224.99
+ $6 lab processing fee
Measures omega-3 fatty acid levels (EPA + DHA) in red blood cells — a key marker of heart and brain health.
$90 at other labs
$54.99
+ $6 lab processing fee
Measures oxidized LDL cholesterol — the form most damaging to arteries and most predictive of plaque buildup.
$50 at other labs
$42.99
+ $6 lab processing fee
A gut-microbiome metabolite linked to cardiovascular risk — produced when gut bacteria break down choline and carnitine from red meat, eggs and dairy.
$44.99
+ $6 lab processing fee
Not sure where to start?
Answer 4 quick questions and we'll recommend the right panel — plus add-ons to round out your results.
100+ tests available. No subscription. HSA / FSA accepted.
Heart blood tests estimate the risk of a heart attack or stroke years before symptoms, and they have moved beyond the basic cholesterol numbers. A lipid panel is still the starting point. ApoB counts the particles that actually drive plaque; lipoprotein(a) finds an inherited risk that cholesterol alone misses and that about one in five people carry; hs-CRP adds the inflammation component; and NMR, homocysteine, omega-3 and the newer markers refine the picture for people who want it or whose standard numbers do not match their history.
Every test is a standard blood draw at a Quest or Labcorp patient service center after a licensed physician reviews the order, with most results in 1–3 business days. Fast 9–12 hours for the lipid tests and homocysteine; ApoB, lipoprotein(a) and hs-CRP can be drawn any time. Skip the hs-CRP if you have a cold or an injury that week — any inflammation raises it.
| If you want to… | Order | Why |
|---|---|---|
| A first check, a yearly baseline, or following up a doctor’s cholesterol concern | Lipid Panel$19.99 · single test | Total, LDL, HDL and triglycerides — the numbers every guideline is written around |
| The same panel with the ratios cardiologists quote | Lipid Panel with LDL/HDL Ratio$24.99 · single test | Adds total-to-HDL and LDL-to-HDL ratios on the report |
| LDL looks fine but there is diabetes, obesity, high triglycerides or a family history | ApoB — Heart Attack Risk Predictor$29.99 · single test | ApoB counts atherogenic particles; it predicts risk better than LDL when the two disagree |
| A parent or sibling with early heart disease, or a heart attack with normal cholesterol | Lp(a) Hereditary Heart Risk Test$32.99 · single test | Lipoprotein(a) is genetic, lifelong and missed by a standard lipid panel — one test, once |
| Borderline risk and a decision about statins | Heart & Body Inflammation Test (hs-CRP)$26.99 · single test | High-sensitivity CRP adds the inflammation half of risk; combined with LDL it sharpens the call |
| The core risk markers together, in one draw | Heart Health Panel$99.99 · 5 tests | Lipid panel, ApoB, lipoprotein(a), hs-CRP and A1c |
| Particle size and number for a detailed risk picture | Advanced Cholesterol Particle Test (NMR)$63.99 · single test | NMR counts LDL particles and sizes them; small dense LDL carries more risk at the same LDL-C |
| Family history of early heart disease, stroke or clots, or low B vitamins | Homocysteine$27.99 · single test | High homocysteine marks B12, folate or B6 deficiency and independent vascular risk |
| Checking whether fish oil or diet has moved your omega-3 status | Omega-3 Index$54.99 · single test | The red-cell omega-3 index reflects months of intake, not last night’s meal |
| Breathlessness, swollen ankles or fatigue that could be heart failure | NT-proBNP (Heart Failure Marker)$224.99 · single test | NT-proBNP rises when the heart is under strain; a normal value makes heart failure unlikely |
| Advanced inflammation and oxidation markers for an optimization work-up | Myeloperoxidase (MPO)$44.99 · single test | Myeloperoxidase flags inflamed, vulnerable plaque; read with oxidized LDL and hs-CRP |
The lipid panel measures the cholesterol carried in the blood; ApoB and NMR measure the particles carrying it. The distinction matters because plaque forms when particles lodge in the artery wall, and the number of particles can be high even when LDL cholesterol is normal — the pattern in insulin resistance, diabetes, high triglycerides and obesity. For most people the lipid panel is enough to start, and ApoB is the single best addition when risk is uncertain: one number, no fasting, and increasingly used by guidelines as the treatment target. NMR goes a step further by sizing the particles and estimating insulin resistance from the pattern, which some people and clinicians find useful for tracking change; others consider ApoB sufficient. Lipoprotein(a) sits apart from all three: it is set by genes, barely moves with lifestyle, and one measurement in a lifetime identifies the roughly one in five people who carry the risk.
Risk is a composite, so no single value tells the story, but the usual reference points are: LDL cholesterol under 100 mg/dL for most adults and under 70 for people with established heart disease or diabetes; non-HDL cholesterol about 30 above the LDL target; triglycerides under 150; HDL above 40 in men and 50 in women; ApoB under about 90 for average risk and under 70 to 80 for high risk; lipoprotein(a) above about 50 mg/dL (125 nmol/L) considered elevated; hs-CRP under 1 mg/L low risk, 1 to 3 average, over 3 high. Laboratories print their own ranges and your clinician applies them to your age, blood pressure, smoking status, diabetes and family history — the inputs of the risk calculators that decide treatment.
Without known disease, a lipid panel every four to six years from your twenties is the minimum, with yearly checks once numbers are borderline, risk factors accumulate or treatment starts. ApoB and hs-CRP follow the same rhythm. Lipoprotein(a) is measured once unless a treatment that lowers it is being used. Fast 9–12 hours with water for the lipid tests and homocysteine, hold alcohol for 24 hours (it raises triglycerides), and avoid testing during an acute illness, which lowers cholesterol and raises CRP. If you take a statin or supplements, take them as usual and note them; the point is to measure your real-world numbers.
A lipid panel (total, LDL, HDL cholesterol and triglycerides) is the foundation. ApoB, lipoprotein(a) and hs-CRP add particle number, inherited risk and inflammation; NMR, homocysteine and the omega-3 index refine the picture. The Heart Health Panel bundles the core five.
ApoB counts the particles that cause plaque, while LDL-C measures the cholesterol inside them. When the two disagree — common with diabetes, obesity and high triglycerides — ApoB predicts risk better, which is why many guidelines now use it as a target.
Most cardiology societies now recommend measuring it once in every adult, and especially with a family history of early heart disease or stroke, a heart attack despite normal cholesterol, or aortic valve stenosis. It is genetic and does not change with diet, so one test is usually enough.
Fast 9–12 hours with water only for the lipid panel, NMR and homocysteine; triglycerides are the component that rises after eating. ApoB, lipoprotein(a) and hs-CRP do not require fasting.
Under 1 mg/L is low cardiovascular risk, 1 to 3 average, over 3 high. Values above 10 usually mean an acute infection or inflammation rather than heart risk — retest two weeks later when you are well.
Every four to six years from your twenties if numbers are normal and risk is low; yearly once results are borderline, risk factors add up or treatment starts, and 4 to 12 weeks after any change in a statin dose.
Educational only — not a diagnosis. Discuss any result outside the reference range with a clinician.