Verbatim response from Perplexity
The blood biomarkers that matter most for longevity are the ones that best predict major drivers of death and disability: atherogenic lipids (especially ApoB and Lp(a)), glucose control (HbA1c and fasting glucose/insulin), inflammation (hs-CRP), and kidney/liver function markers such as creatinine/eGFR and ALT/GGT.[1][5][11][14]
A practical way to think about them is:
- Cardiovascular risk: ApoB, Lp(a), LDL-C, triglycerides, HDL-C, ApoA1.[1][11][14]
- Metabolic health: HbA1c, fasting glucose, fasting insulin.[1][3][5][14]
- Inflammation: hs-CRP; in some research, IL-6 and related inflammatory proteins also track aging risk.[1][2][11][16]
- Kidney/liver function: Creatinine/eGFR, ALT, GGT, sometimes albumin.[4][12][14][15]
- Iron status: Ferritin and iron-related markers, though these are more context-dependent than the markers above.[4][12]
- Other useful add-ons: Cystatin C, homocysteine, vitamin D, B12/folate, and TSH when clinically relevant.[2][6][12][15]
If you want the short list with the strongest real-world value, start with these five:
- ApoB
- Lp(a) once in life
- HbA1c
- hs-CRP
- Creatinine/eGFR[1][5][11][13][14]
That said, there is an important caveat: many “longevity biomarkers” are better validated as risk markers for disease or mortality than as direct measures of biological aging. Research on exceptional longevity also finds associations with markers like lower glucose, lower creatinine, and some liver/kidney/inflammation measures, but the evidence is not uniform across all biomarkers.[4][11][16]
If you want, I can turn this into a prioritized longevity blood panel with what to test, how often, and typical target ranges.