5 Biomarkers Everyone Should Test
Five critical blood biomarkers that provide meaningful health insights across multiple body systems — actionable early warning signals for chronic disease risk.
Rather than pursuing extensive testing, these five biomarkers punch above their weight — offering actionable early warning signals for chronic disease risk across multiple body systems.
1. hs-CRP — Your Body's Smoke Alarm
High-sensitivity C-reactive protein detects low-grade chronic inflammation, the underlying driver of heart disease, cognitive decline, and accelerated aging.
Standard CRP only responds to acute crises, whereas hs-CRP captures subtle, persistent inflammation years before symptoms emerge.
| Metric | Detail |
|---|---|
| What it measures | Low-grade chronic inflammation |
| Ideal target | Below 0.5 mg/L |
| Conventional threshold | 3 mg/L (cardiovascular) |
| Why chosen | More sensitive than ESR or WBC; more practical than cytokine measurements |
2. ApoB — Counting the Real Risk
Apolipoprotein B counts the actual cholesterol-carrying particles in circulation — the true predictor of atherosclerosis risk.
While LDL-cholesterol reflects cargo per truck, ApoB counts the trucks themselves. Too many particles means arterial damage regardless of individual particle size.
| Metric | Detail |
|---|---|
| What it measures | Atherogenic particle count |
| Ideal target | Below 60 mg/dL |
| Why chosen | Reveals hidden particle counts missed by conventional LDL-C testing |
3. Fasting Insulin — Early Metabolic Drift Detector
Elevated fasting insulin signals emerging insulin resistance, often preceding blood sugar changes by years. Insulin resistance connects to fat storage dysregulation, chronic inflammation, arterial stiffness, and fatty liver disease.
| Metric | Detail |
|---|---|
| What it measures | Pancreatic insulin output at rest |
| Ideal target | 2–5 μIU/mL |
| Clinical cutoff | Below 25 μIU/mL (far less sensitive) |
| Why chosen | Catches metabolic decline earlier than HbA1c or fasting glucose |
4. Ferritin — Your Iron Savings Account
Ferritin measures total iron reserves stored safely within cells, reflecting both iron sufficiency and oxidative stress risk. It rises during inflammation independent of iron status, requiring contextual interpretation.
| Metric | Detail |
|---|---|
| What it measures | Total iron reserves |
| Ideal target (women) | 40–70 ng/mL |
| Ideal target (men) | 50–100 ng/mL |
| Why chosen | More informative than serum iron; more practical than transferrin saturation |
5. IGF-1 — The Growth & Repair Balancer
Insulin-like growth factor 1 reflects your body's growth-repair equilibrium — governed by hormones, nutrition, training, and metabolic state.
Low IGF-1 increases frailty and muscle loss; high levels overstimulate aging pathways and mTOR signaling. The sweet spot is mid-range, age- and sex-adjusted.
| Metric | Detail |
|---|---|
| What it measures | Growth-repair equilibrium |
| Ideal target | ~200–300 ng/mL (age/sex-adjusted mid-range) |
| Why chosen | More stable than growth hormone; captures integrated hormonal-nutritional signals |
Why These Five?
These five biomarkers represent "levers that pull multiple systems" simultaneously. They detect disease risk years before symptoms, connect diverse body functions, and offer concrete targets for intervention.
- hs-CRP reveals systemic inflammation driving cardiovascular and cognitive risk
- ApoB directly measures the particles causing atherosclerosis
- Fasting insulin catches metabolic dysfunction years before glucose changes
- Ferritin balances iron sufficiency with oxidative stress monitoring
- IGF-1 gauges the growth-repair axis critical for aging well
Together, these markers offer a comprehensive window into your current health trajectory — and the leverage points where targeted intervention delivers the greatest return.