Verbatim response from Claude
Blood Biomarkers That Actually Matter for Longevity
Tier 1: Strong Evidence
Metabolic Health
- Fasting insulin & HOMA-IR – arguably the most important; insulin resistance drives many age-related diseases
- HbA1c – long-term blood sugar control
- Fasting glucose – basic but meaningful
- Triglycerides – strongly linked to cardiovascular and metabolic risk
Lipids (nuanced)
- ApoB – better than LDL for predicting cardiovascular risk
- HDL – higher generally protective
- Lp(a) – largely genetic, but important to know
Inflammation
- hsCRP – high-sensitivity C-reactive protein; chronic inflammation marker
- IL-6 – deeper inflammation signal
Tier 2: Solid Supporting Evidence
- IGF-1 – growth/aging axis
- Homocysteine – cardiovascular and cognitive risk
- Vitamin D – widespread impact on immune and metabolic function
- Testosterone/DHEA-S – hormonal aging indicators
- Ferritin – iron overload is underappreciated
Practical Testing Options
- Inside Tracker – analyzes biomarkers with personalized recommendations
- Function Health – comprehensive panel (~100 biomarkers), founded by longevity-focused physicians
- Life Extension Foundation – affordable individual panels
Honest Caveat
No single biomarker predicts longevity reliably. Trends over time matter more than single snapshots.
Want specifics on any of these?