The 20 Most Important Blood Biomarkers Everyone Should Know

Quick answer

The blood markers that matter most cover four areas: blood sugar, heart health, organ health, and nutrients. A yearly checkup often skips more than half of them. The biggest gaps are ApoB, fasting insulin, HbA1c, hs-CRP, vitamin D, and a full thyroid panel. One blood draw can cover all 20.

How to use this list

You do not need to test all 20 at once. A good starting point is the metabolic, heart, and basic nutrient markers, numbers 1 through 12 below. Add the rest if you have specific risk factors or want a fuller picture of your health.

Metabolic health

1. Fasting glucose

This measures your blood sugar after 8 to 12 hours with no food. It is the simplest test for insulin resistance and diabetes, a condition where your blood sugar stays too high. The standard range is 70 to 99 mg/dL. The healthy target range is 70 to 85 mg/dL. If your number sits above the target, cutting back on refined carbs and walking after meals can help. Retest in 3 months.

2. HbA1c

This shows your average blood sugar over the past 3 months. It gives the best single snapshot of where your metabolism is heading. The standard range is under 5.7%. The healthy target range is under 5.4%. A result under 5.7% is also linked to better long-term heart health.

3. Fasting insulin

This shows how hard your pancreas is working while you rest. Insulin often rises years before your glucose does, so this can be the earliest sign that something is off with your metabolism. The standard range is 2.6 to 24.9 microunits per mL (written µIU/mL). The healthy target is under 8 µIU/mL.

4. Triglycerides

This measures fat circulating in your blood from recent meals and from your liver. High triglycerides point to too many refined carbs and a group of risk factors called metabolic syndrome. The standard range is under 150 mg/dL. The healthy target is under 100 mg/dL.

5. HOMA-IR (a calculated score)

This is an insulin resistance score. Your lab calculates it from your glucose and insulin numbers together. It confirms what a fasting insulin result alone can only hint at. The healthy target is under 1.5.

Heart and blood vessel health

6. LDL cholesterol

This is often called "bad" cholesterol. How many particles you have matters more than the raw number. The standard range is under 130 mg/dL. The healthy target is under 100 mg/dL, and lower still if you have other risk factors.

7. HDL cholesterol

This is often called "good" cholesterol. It helps carry cholesterol away from your artery walls. The standard range is above 40 mg/dL for men and above 50 mg/dL for women. The healthy target is above 60 mg/dL.

8. ApoB

This measures a protein found on every particle that can clog your arteries. It predicts heart attack risk better than LDL alone. The standard range is under 120 mg/dL. The healthy target is under 90 mg/dL, or under 60 mg/dL if you already have high risk. ApoB is rarely part of a standard physical exam in the Philippines. We see it as the biggest gap in routine testing.

9. Lipoprotein(a)

This is a cholesterol particle set mostly by your genes. A high level raises your risk of heart disease and stroke on its own, separate from your other cholesterol numbers. Both the standard and healthy target ranges sit under 30 mg/dL. You only need to test this once in your life, since it does not change much with diet or lifestyle.

10. hs-CRP

This measures low-level inflammation in your body. The standard range is under 3 mg/L. The healthy target is under 1 mg/L. A result that stays high over time raises your risk of a heart problem, even if your cholesterol looks fine.

Liver, kidney, and organ health

11. ALT (alanine aminotransferase)

This shows how healthy your liver cells are. The standard range goes up to 40 U/L. The healthy target is under 25 U/L for women and under 30 U/L for men. A high ALT is often the first sign of fatty liver disease, a condition that is becoming more common across the region.

12. GGT

This shows stress on your liver and bile ducts. It is sensitive to alcohol and certain medicines. The healthy target is under 25 U/L.

13. Creatinine and eGFR

These two numbers show how well your kidneys filter waste from your blood. The standard and healthy target for eGFR are both above 90 mL per minute. Tracking this matters more if you have high blood pressure, diabetes, or a family history of kidney disease, all of which are common in the region.

14. Uric acid

This is a waste product your body makes when it breaks down purines, a substance found in some foods. Gout, a painful joint condition, is common in the Philippines, and high uric acid also raises your heart and kidney risk. The standard range is 3.4 to 7.0 mg/dL. The healthy target is under 6 mg/dL.

Hormone and thyroid health

15. TSH

This is the signal your brain sends to your thyroid gland. The standard range is 0.4 to 4.5 mIU/L. The healthy target range is 0.5 to 2.5 mIU/L. A "normal" TSH of 4.0 can still point to an underactive thyroid that has not been diagnosed yet.

16. Free T3 and Free T4

These are the active thyroid hormones your body actually uses, not just your brain's request for them. Many cases of fatigue and stubborn weight gain trace back to low thyroid output that a TSH test alone can miss.

17. Total and free testosterone

Testosterone is the main male hormone, but it also matters for women's health. Low testosterone is linked to metabolic syndrome, low sex drive, and low mood. It is easy to test and treat, yet standard labs often skip it.

Nutrient and inflammation markers

18. Vitamin D (25-OH)

This shows your vitamin D level. The standard range is above 20 ng/mL. The healthy target is 40 to 60 ng/mL. Even with a sunny climate, deficiency is common across the region because of indoor work, sunscreen use, and air pollution.

19. Ferritin

This shows how much iron your body has stored. Low ferritin is often the earliest sign of iron deficiency, and it can be missed if a lab only checks hemoglobin. The standard range for women is 11 to 307 ng/mL. The healthy target is 50 to 150 ng/mL.

20. Vitamin B12

This shows your B12 status. B12 supports your energy, mood, and nerve function. The standard range is above 200 pg/mL. The healthy target is 500 to 900 pg/mL.

A few more worth knowing about

• Fasting C-peptide. This pairs with insulin to confirm the full picture of your metabolic health.
• Magnesium, ideally measured inside your red blood cells. It is often low and rarely tested.
• Folate. This pairs with vitamin B12.
• Estradiol and progesterone. These help explain menstrual or perimenopause symptoms.
• Morning cortisol. This helps assess chronic stress.
• Homocysteine. This relates to blood vessel and cell health.

How a full panel covers these

A &you Labs panel checks many of these biomarkers together in a single draw. Every result comes back with the standard lab range next to the healthy target range, plus a doctor's written interpretation. See the full list of biomarkers covered in each panel.

Frequently asked questions

How many of these are usually included in a standard physical exam in the Philippines?

A typical physical exam covers fasting glucose, total cholesterol, LDL, HDL, triglycerides, ALT, AST, creatinine, and uric acid. That is roughly 9 of the 20. ApoB, fasting insulin, HbA1c, hs-CRP, vitamin D, ferritin, B12, and a full thyroid panel are usually left out.

Do I need to fast for all 20 tests?

Most of these biomarkers are best measured after a 8 to 12 hour fast, though water and regular medication are fine. Fasting matters most for glucose, insulin, triglycerides, and the rest of the cholesterol panel.

Can I test all 20 with a single blood draw?

Yes. One draw of about 15 to 20 mL is enough for the full list.

Is it worth testing all 20 if I feel healthy?

Many of the conditions these markers catch, like insulin resistance and fatty liver, have no symptoms in the early stages. Testing while you feel well is how you catch a problem before it grows.

How often should these be retested?

For healthy adults, once a year covers most markers. Lipoprotein(a) only needs testing once in your life. If you are actively working to improve a number, retest the metabolic and inflammation markers every 3 to 6 months.

Key takeaways

• A standard yearly physical exam covers fewer than half of the biomarkers that actually predict your long-term health.
• The biggest gaps in routine testing are ApoB, fasting insulin, hs-CRP, vitamin D, and a full thyroid panel.
• Knowing the healthy target range, not just the standard "normal" range, is what makes a result useful.
• A single blood draw can capture all 20 of these markers at once.
• Lipoprotein(a) is the one marker on this list you only need to check once in your life.