The Complete Specialist Blood Panel

A specialist blood panel goes far beyond the standard annual checkup. While a typical primary care panel may include 15–20 markers, specialist longevity-oriented panels test 40 to over 100 biomarkers in a single blood draw. This comprehensive approach catches blind spots — early insulin resistance, suboptimal vitamin D, hidden inflammation, or thyroid dysfunction — that standard panels routinely miss.

Cardiovascular Panel

• •ApoB — Atherogenic particle count. Optimal: < 80 mg/dL.
• •Lp(a) — Genetic lipoprotein risk. Test once. Optimal: < 30 nmol/L.
• •LDL-C, HDL-C, Triglycerides — Standard lipid markers, interpreted alongside ApoB.
• •Non-HDL-C — Total cholesterol minus HDL. A useful composite risk marker.
• •Lp-PLA2 — An enzyme specific to vascular inflammation and unstable plaque. Elevated levels suggest active arterial inflammation.

Metabolic & Glycemic Panel

• •Fasting glucose & HbA1c — Baseline glycemic control.
• •Fasting insulin — Early insulin resistance detection.
• •HOMA-IR — Calculated insulin resistance index.
• •C-peptide — Measures endogenous insulin production; useful for differentiating types of diabetes.
• •Adiponectin — An anti-inflammatory hormone secreted by fat tissue. Low adiponectin is associated with metabolic syndrome and insulin resistance.

Inflammatory Panel

• •hsCRP — Systemic inflammation marker. Optimal: < 1.0 mg/L.
• •Homocysteine — Vascular inflammation and B-vitamin status. Optimal: < 10 μmol/L.
• •Fibrinogen — Clotting and inflammatory marker.
• •Ferritin — Iron stores and inflammation. Elevated ferritin without iron supplementation may indicate inflammation or liver disease.
• •ESR (Erythrocyte Sedimentation Rate) — A non-specific marker of inflammation, useful in combination with hsCRP.

Hormonal Panel

• •Thyroid panel — TSH, Free T4, Free T3, thyroid antibodies (TPO, thyroglobulin). Subclinical thyroid dysfunction affects 4–10% of adults.
• •Sex hormones — Total and free testosterone, estradiol, SHBG. Relevant for both men and women.
• •DHEA-S — Adrenal function and aging marker.
• •Cortisol — Stress hormone. Morning cortisol is most informative; diurnal cortisol patterns can be assessed with salivary tests.
• •IGF-1 — Growth hormone axis. Mid-normal range appears optimal for longevity.

Nutritional Panel

• •Vitamin D (25-OH) — Deficiency is extremely common. The Endocrine Society recommends levels of 40–60 ng/mL for optimal health, though standard reference ranges start at 30 ng/mL.
• •Vitamin B12 & Folate — Essential for methylation, neurological function, and homocysteine metabolism.
• •Magnesium RBC — Serum magnesium is a poor indicator; RBC magnesium better reflects intracellular status. Magnesium is involved in 300+ enzymatic reactions.
• •Omega-3 Index — Measures EPA + DHA as a percentage of red blood cell membranes. An index above 8% is associated with significantly lower cardiovascular risk (Harris & von Schacky, Preventive Medicine 2004).
• •Iron studies — Serum iron, TIBC, transferrin saturation, and ferritin provide a complete picture of iron status.
• •Zinc & Copper — Important for immune function, wound healing, and antioxidant defense. The zinc-to-copper ratio may also have clinical significance.