Quick answer
Longevity is best predicted by markers across several body systems, not by one single number. Key groups include your heart, your metabolism, your kidneys, your liver, your hormones, and your nutrient levels. Inflammation markers matter too. The full pattern matters more than any single marker on its own.
The longevity biomarker categories
Doctors group longevity markers by body system. Here is what to know about each group.
Heart and blood vessels
Heart disease is the leading cause of death worldwide. It is also one of the most preventable diseases. Catching cardiovascular disease risk factors early makes a big difference.
Marker | What it measures | Healthy target |
|---|
ApoB | A count of the harmful cholesterol particles in your blood, like counting delivery trucks instead of the boxes inside them | Under 90 mg/dL, lower if you have other risk factors |
Lipoprotein(a), or Lp(a) | An inherited, fixed risk marker, tested once | Under 30 mg/dL |
hs-CRP | A marker of hidden, low-grade swelling | Under 1 mg/L |
HDL | Often called "good" cholesterol | Above 60 mg/dL |
Triglyceride to HDL ratio | A rough stand-in for metabolic syndrome | Lower is better |
Blood pressure | Not a blood test, but central to heart health | Under 120/80 |
Your metabolism is the other big driver of long-term disease risk.
Marker | What it measures | Healthy target |
|---|
HbA1c | Your average blood sugar over the last three months | Under 5.4% |
Fasting insulin | The earliest sign of insulin resistance | Under 8 µIU/mL |
HOMA-IR | A calculated insulin resistance score | Under 1.5 |
Fasting glucose | A snapshot of your blood sugar right now | Within normal range |
ALT | A marker of liver health and fatty liver | Under 25 in women, under 30 in men |
Kidneys
Kidney decline is a strong predictor of how long you will live.
Marker | What it measures | Healthy target |
|---|
eGFR | How well your kidneys filter waste from your blood | Above 90 |
Creatinine and BUN | Waste products your kidneys should clear | Within normal range |
Uric acid | A byproduct linked to gout and kidney strain | Under 6 mg/dL |
Inflammation
Hidden inflammation drives most disease linked to aging.
Marker | What it measures | Healthy target |
|---|
hs-CRP | Chronic, low-grade swelling | Under 1 mg/L |
NLR, or neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio | A ratio pulled from a routine blood count | Under 2.0 |
Homocysteine | Linked to blood vessel and cell health | Under 8 |
Albumin | The main protein your liver makes; oddly, lower levels link to a shorter lifespan | Upper half of the normal range |
Hormones
Hormones shift with age, and they affect nearly every other system.
Marker | What it measures | Note |
|---|
Testosterone (men) | Falls with age | Healthy target varies by age |
DHEA-S | An adrenal hormone that also falls with age | Higher levels are generally favorable |
IGF-1 | A growth hormone messenger | Both very high and very low levels carry risk |
TSH, Free T3, Free T4 | Thyroid function | Compare against age-adjusted ranges |
Nutrients
Nutrient gaps are some of the easiest markers to fix.
Marker | Healthy target |
|---|
Vitamin D (25-OH) | 40 to 60 ng/mL |
Vitamin B12 | 500 to 900 pg/mL |
Ferritin, an iron storage marker | 50 to 150 ng/mL |
Omega-3 index | Above 8% |
Magnesium | Adequate levels; hard to catch on a standard blood test |
Function and body composition
Not every longevity clue comes from blood. Doctors also track:
- Grip strength, which predicts how long you will live.
- VO2 max, how well your body uses oxygen during hard exercise.
- Waist size, a marker of fat around your organs.
- Muscle mass, since losing it speeds up aging.
Cellular aging
Two special tests look at aging inside your cells.
- DNA methylation age, from clocks like GrimAge and DunedinPACE.
- Telomere length, though it is a weaker marker on its own.
Cell energy matters here too. NAD+ is the blood biomarker behind cellular energy.
What does the research say about these markers?
Some of these markers have more evidence behind them than others.
ApoB
Many large genetic studies show a direct link between ApoB and heart disease. Lowering ApoB, through diet or medicine, lowers heart attack risk.
hs-CRP
Ongoing high hs-CRP predicts both heart problems and overall risk of death. Bringing it down over time improves outcomes.
HbA1c
HbA1c strongly predicts heart and overall health risk. This risk starts rising even before doctors would call it diabetes.
Fasting insulin
Fasting insulin often rises years before HbA1c does. This makes it an early warning sign, especially for younger adults.
Albumin
Lower albumin, even within the normal range, links to a shorter lifespan in older adults. This is partly because your body makes less albumin during periods of inflammation.
NLR
More doctors now use NLR as an inflammation marker. It links to worse outcomes in heart disease, cancer, and long-term survival.
IGF-1
IGF-1 is complex. Very low levels can come from severe deficiency. Very high levels can come from conditions like acromegaly. Both ends carry risk. A moderate level within your normal range is the goal.
eGFR
A drop in eGFR below 90 matters, even if small. Doctors adjust this number for your age. It still links to higher heart and overall risk.
What is an "aging score"?
Some models combine several biomarkers into one single number. Doctors sometimes call this a biological age or an aging rate.
Model | What it does |
|---|
PhenoAge | Combines 9 blood biomarkers into one score |
GrimAge | Combines blood markers with DNA test results; links most closely to lifespan in research |
DunedinPACE | Measures how fast you are aging right now |
Klemera-Doubal method | A statistics-based estimate from several markers |
These models are useful. But the individual markers behind them are what you can actually act on. Say your score comes back 5 years older than your birthday. Look at which specific markers are driving that gap.
What does a "successful aging" pattern look like?
People who stay strong and sharp in their 70s and 80s tend to share a pattern.
Marker | Typical target in this pattern |
|---|
ApoB | Under 80 mg/dL |
LDL | Under 90 mg/dL |
HDL | Above 60 mg/dL |
HbA1c | Under 5.4% |
Fasting insulin | Under 8 µIU/mL |
hs-CRP | Under 1 mg/L |
eGFR | Above 90 |
Albumin | Upper half of normal |
NLR | Under 2.0 |
Vitamin D | 40 to 60 ng/mL |
Omega-3 index | Above 8% |
Weight and waist size | Stable and modest |
This is the pattern worth aiming for. Every piece of it can be improved with the right habits. A &you Labs panel checks most of these markers in one draw. Book your &you Labs panel to see your whole pattern at once.
Which habits actually move these markers?
The habits below have the strongest evidence for long-term health.
Habit | Why it matters |
|---|
Regular exercise, both cardio and strength training | About 150 minutes a week of moderate cardio is a strong baseline |
A Mediterranean-style diet | The diet with the strongest evidence for a long life |
7 to 8 hours of sleep, most nights | Too little or too much sleep both raise risk |
Quitting smoking | The single biggest modifiable risk you can remove |
Little to no alcohol | Newer research is less forgiving of light drinking than older studies suggested |
A healthy weight, with less fat around your belly | Lowers risk across nearly every marker above |
Treating metabolic issues | Better insulin sensitivity, blood pressure, and cholesterol |
Staying socially connected | A strong, often overlooked predictor of a long life |
Staying mentally active | Learning, purpose, and social roles all help |
Certain medicines, when a doctor recommends them | Statins for high ApoB, blood pressure medicine, and (under study) metformin or GLP-1 medicines |
Common patterns doctors see in Filipino adults
The hidden risk pattern
LDL looks normal, but ApoB is high. HbA1c sits at 5.5 to 5.7 percent, just under the diabetes cutoff. Triglycerides run high and HDL runs low. hs-CRP is mildly raised. This pattern is common, and it is fixable.
The aging slower than expected pattern
Every marker sits in the healthy range. Activity stays high. Meals lean toward a Mediterranean-style pattern. Sleep and stress both stay in check.
The aging faster than expected pattern
Several markers sit near the edge of normal. Belly fat runs high, and activity runs low. Sleep is often poor. Smoking or heavy drinking may be part of the picture. This pattern offers the most room to improve.
Frequently asked questions
What is the single most important longevity biomarker?
There is no single best marker. For most adults, three stand out as the most useful to track. ApoB shows your heart risk. HbA1c shows your metabolic path. hs-CRP shows your inflammation level.
How often should I retest?
A full panel once a year works well. If you are actively working on a specific issue, retest that cluster every 3 to 6 months.
Are longevity supplements worth it?
Most heavily marketed longevity supplements have weak evidence. A few have real support. These include omega-3 in the right dose, vitamin D if you are low, magnesium, and creatine. Others, like NMN and resveratrol, are still being studied. The evidence does not yet justify their cost for most people.
Should I see a longevity specialist?
For most adults, a primary care doctor who understands healthy target ranges gives excellent care. Specialized longevity clinics offer extra services at a premium cost. Whether that extra cost is worth it depends on your own goals.
Can I really live longer by improving my biomarkers?
Strong evidence supports this. Fixing the drivers you can control helps. These include heart, metabolic, and inflammation markers. Doing so extends both how long you live and how well you live. Exact year-by-year claims are harder to predict for one person. But the benefit across large groups of people is well documented.
Key takeaways
- Longevity is best predicted by a pattern of markers, not one single number.
- The most useful markers to track are ApoB, HbA1c, fasting insulin, hs-CRP, eGFR, lipoprotein(a), albumin, and NLR.
- Exercise, a Mediterranean-style diet, good sleep, stress management, and quitting smoking meaningfully improve these markers.
- Aim for the full healthy pattern, and track your trend over time.
- Most "longevity supplements" have weaker evidence than the daily habits above.
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