# Small dense LDL (sdLDL)

Small dense LDL (sdLDL) is a smaller, denser subtype of LDL cholesterol particles (under about 25.5 nm across). They form mainly when you have high triglycerides and insulin resistance, through a swap of triglycerides for cholesterol (run by a protein called CETP). sdLDL particles are more dangerous to your arteries than big, fluffy LDL, for several reasons. They bind the LDL receptor poorly, so they linger longer in your blood. They slip into the artery wall more easily. They oxidize more readily. And they stick more tightly to molecules in the artery wall. Higher sdLDL is independently linked to coronary artery disease, and it is part of 'atherogenic dyslipidemia', the harmful trio of high triglycerides, low HDL, and a predominance of small dense LDL.

## Sources

- Gardner CD, Fortmann SP, Krauss RM. (1996). Association of small low-density lipoprotein particles with the incidence of coronary artery disease in men and women. JAMA. https://doi.org/10.1001/jama.1996.03540110029028
- Hoogeveen RC, Gaubatz JW, Sun W, Dodge RC, Crosby JR, Jiang J, et al.. (2014). Small dense low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol concentrations predict risk for coronary heart disease: the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) Study. Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis, and Vascular Biology. https://doi.org/10.1161/ATVBAHA.114.303284

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_Canonical: https://longevity-switzerland.com/en/glossary/small-dense-ldl · Part of Longevity Cities · Updated 2026-06-22_