Verbatim response from Claude
Blood Biomarkers That Actually Matter for Longevity
Tier 1: High Evidence, Actionable
Metabolic
- Fasting insulin & HOMA-IR – early insulin resistance detection, often normal when glucose still looks fine
- HbA1c – 3-month glucose average; aim below 5.4%
- Triglycerides & HDL ratio – strong cardiovascular predictor
- ApoB – better than LDL for measuring atherogenic particle risk
Inflammation
- hs-CRP – high-sensitivity version matters; standard CRP misses low-grade inflammation
- IL-6 – emerging as a strong all-cause mortality predictor
Organ Function
- eGFR/creatinine – kidney health
- ALT/AST – liver health
Tier 2: Meaningful with Context
- Testosterone & DHEA-S – hormonal aging markers
- TSH – thyroid function affects nearly everything
- Homocysteine – cardiovascular & cognitive risk
- Ferritin – too low or too high is problematic
Tier 3: Promising but Evolving
- GrimAge/epigenetic clocks – expensive but informative
- IGF-1 – growth/aging tradeoffs
Recommended Services
- Function Health – 100+ biomarkers, ~$500/year, Peter Attia-affiliated
- InsideTracker – good trend tracking with lifestyle recommendations
- Quest/LabCorp – affordable if your doctor orders targeted panels
Most overlooked: ApoB and fasting insulin are frequently skipped in standard checkups but are highly predictive.