I remember a doctor explaining that the common way to measure cholesterol is not the most accurate and not an ideal measure for cardiovascular risks. This is most commonly done because it's much cheaper than the more accurate way. I wish I remembered the terms used for both methods. An analogy would be that, say, your artery is a freeway and cars and passengers represent cholesterol. The first, less accurate way, measures the amount of passengers on the freeway. The second, the much better way, measure the amount of actual vehicles on the freeway. Of course there is a correlation. The more passengers you have is an indication to how many vehicles there are, but, as the saying goes, correlation is not causation. It's the amount of actual vehicles on the freeway that determines how things flow. Having one vehicle carrying six passengers causes less obstruction than six cars carrying one passenger each.
When I get time I'll try to look it up so I'll know what each test is called and maybe it can be recommended to your doctor for you next blood test.
