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 LDL Size testing

• Reveals whether your LDL cholesterol particles are small and dense or large and buoyant.
• Spots higher cardiovascular risk even when total LDL cholesterol looks normal.
• Flags metabolic syndrome and insulin resistance patterns linked to heart disease.
• Guides personalized diet and medication choices to lower your true cardiac risk.
• Tracks how lifestyle changes shift particle size toward a safer profile.
• Explains why some people with "good" cholesterol numbers still develop heart disease.
• Best interpreted with apoB, triglycerides, and HDL for a complete lipid picture.

What is LDL Size?

LDL size refers to the physical diameter of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) particles, the cholesterol-carrying packages that travel through your bloodstream. These particles aren't all the same size. Some are large and buoyant, while others are small and dense. The difference matters because size influences how LDL particles behave in your arteries.

Not all cholesterol carriers are created equal

Small, dense LDL particles penetrate the artery wall more easily than their larger counterparts. They're also more prone to oxidation and inflammatory changes that contribute to plaque buildup. Large LDL particles, by contrast, tend to be less harmful even when cholesterol levels are elevated.

Size reveals risk that total cholesterol can miss

Measuring LDL size helps identify a specific pattern of cardiovascular risk. Two people with identical LDL cholesterol numbers can have very different particle size distributions. The person with predominantly small, dense LDL faces higher risk for atherosclerosis and heart disease, making particle size a valuable window into metabolic health beyond standard cholesterol testing.

Why is LDL Size important?

LDL size reveals how your cholesterol particles behave inside your arteries. Larger, buoyant LDL particles tend to bounce along vessel walls with less harm, while smaller, denser particles burrow into artery linings more easily, accelerating plaque formation and inflammation. This distinction matters more for cardiovascular risk than LDL cholesterol number alone.

Small particles slip under the radar

When LDL particles shrink below about 25.5 nanometers, they become small and dense. These tiny spheres penetrate damaged endothelium, oxidize rapidly, and trigger immune cells to form fatty streaks. People with predominantly small LDL often carry metabolic syndrome, insulin resistance, or high triglycerides. Women after menopause and men with central obesity show this pattern more frequently.

Larger LDL means gentler traffic

Particles above 26 nanometers are larger and more buoyant. They clear from circulation more predictably and cause less arterial injury. Individuals with mostly large LDL may have elevated total cholesterol yet lower true cardiovascular risk, especially if triglycerides and inflammation markers remain low.

The pattern connects to metabolic health

LDL size integrates signals from diet, insulin sensitivity, liver metabolism, and inflammation. Small dense LDL clusters with prediabetes, fatty liver, and chronic stress. Over years, this phenotype raises heart attack and stroke risk independent of standard lipid panels, making particle size a window into how your metabolism handles fat and sugar at the cellular level.

What do my LDL Size results mean?

Low values (small, dense LDL particles)

Low values usually reflect a predominance of small, dense LDL particles, which are more prone to oxidation and penetration into arterial walls. This pattern often accompanies insulin resistance, elevated triglycerides, and low HDL cholesterol, forming part of the metabolic syndrome cluster. Small dense LDL is associated with increased cardiovascular risk even when total LDL cholesterol appears normal. This phenotype is more common in men and postmenopausal women, and tends to worsen with central adiposity and sedentary patterns.

Optimal values (large, buoyant LDL particles)

Being in range suggests a predominance of large, buoyant LDL particles, which are less atherogenic and reflect better metabolic health. This pattern typically accompanies lower triglycerides, higher HDL, and improved insulin sensitivity. Optimal LDL size tends toward the larger end of the distribution and is associated with lower cardiovascular risk independent of LDL cholesterol concentration.

High values (large, buoyant LDL particles)

High values usually reflect predominantly large, buoyant LDL particles, which carry lower cardiovascular risk than small dense particles. This favorable pattern is often seen in metabolically healthy individuals with good insulin sensitivity and lipid balance.

Notes on interpretation

LDL particle size exists on a spectrum and is influenced by diet composition, insulin sensitivity, and genetic factors. Measurement methods vary between laboratories, and results should be interpreted alongside triglycerides, HDL, and metabolic markers for full context.