Blood Panel Testing: The Complete Guide

Biohacking without biomarker data is guessing. Blood panels reveal what's actually happening inside your body: metabolic health, cardiovascular risk, inflammation, nutrient status, hormonal balance, and organ function.

Standard annual physicals often run a basic metabolic panel and lipid panel, missing the markers longevity physicians consider essential. Peter Attia argues most people are 'metabolically ill' years before diagnosis, and earlier testing enables earlier intervention.

Cardiovascular: ApoB (not just LDL-C), Lp(a) (test once, genetic), triglycerides, HDL-C, hs-CRP. ApoB counts atherogenic particles directly; LDL-C can mislead, especially with metabolic dysfunction.

Metabolic: Fasting glucose, fasting insulin, HbA1c, HOMA-IR (calculated from glucose + insulin). Optimal fasting insulin is <5 μIU/mL; 'normal' lab ranges allow up to 25.

Nutrients: Vitamin D (25-OH), B12, ferritin, iron panel, magnesium RBC (not serum), omega-3 index. Deficiencies here undermine every other biohack.

Hormones: Total and free testosterone, SHBG, estradiol, DHEA-S, thyroid panel (TSH, free T3, free T4, reverse T3, TPO antibodies).

Liver/kidney: ALT, AST, GGT, creatinine, eGFR, uric acid. GGT is an underused marker for oxidative stress and liver health.

Inflammation: hs-CRP (<1 mg/L optimal), homocysteine, fibrinogen.

Baseline: Comprehensive panel (40–60 markers) at the start of any biohacking program. Establishes your personal baseline, population reference ranges are too wide.

Active intervention: Every 3 months when changing diet, supplements, or medications significantly. Verify interventions are working.

Maintenance: Every 6 months once markers are optimized and stable. Annual minimum for anyone over 30.

Bryan Johnson's Blueprint: Monthly comprehensive panels (extreme, but demonstrates the monitoring philosophy). Most biohackers don't need monthly testing.

United States: Quest Diagnostics, LabCorp via services like Ulta Lab Tests or Own Your Labs. Cheapest option, $200–400 for comprehensive panels. Bundled services include InsideTracker, Function Health, and Marek Health ($200–$1000+ with interpretation).

United Kingdom: NHS blood tests via GP referral, or private options like Medichecks, Thriva, and Randox Health. Private comprehensive panels typically £150–400.

European Union: Varies by country. Private labs and direct-to-consumer services exist in Germany (Lykon), Netherlands, and Scandinavia. Many EU residents use UK private labs or US services when traveling.

Australia: Medicare covers basic panels via GP referral. Private options include i-med, Australian Clinical Labs, and direct-to-consumer services like MyHealthTest.

New Zealand: Blood tests require GP referral for subsidized labs, or pay privately through Medlab, Pathlab, or Auckland regional labs. Direct-to-consumer options are more limited than the US.

At-home collection: Some services offer finger-prick kits for basic markers (glucose, lipids, vitamin D). Convenient but less comprehensive than venous draws.

Step 1: Order comprehensive baseline panel. Include ApoB, fasting insulin, HbA1c, vitamin D, thyroid, testosterone (if relevant), hs-CRP, and liver enzymes at minimum.

Step 2: Fast 10–12 hours before draw (water only). Morning collection for cortisol and testosterone accuracy. Avoid intense exercise 24 hours before (affects CK, WBC).

Step 3: Review with a physician or longevity-focused practitioner. Flag anything outside optimal (not just 'normal') ranges.

Step 4: Intervene: diet, exercise, supplements, or medications as indicated. Retest in 3 months to verify changes.

High ApoB: Prioritize dietary saturated fat reduction, increase fiber, consider statin or ezetimibe discussion with physician. Zone 2 cardio and omega-3 supplementation support lipid optimization.

High fasting insulin: Reduce refined carbohydrates, implement time-restricted eating, increase Zone 2 cardio. CGM can identify specific trigger foods.

Low vitamin D: Supplement 2000–5000 IU D3 + K2, retest in 3 months. Target 40–60 ng/mL.

Low testosterone: Investigate sleep, stress, body composition, and SHBG before considering TRT. Resistance training and sleep optimization often improve levels naturally.

Elevated hs-CRP: Address sleep, oral health, visceral fat, and environmental toxins. Not a supplement problem first.

Peter Attia's 'The Drive' podcast is the reference for biomarker interpretation. His 'Medicine 3.0' framework prioritizes prevention over treatment.

r/longevity and r/Biohackers recommend Own Your Labs and Ulta for affordable US testing. InsideTracker is popular for beginners who want guided recommendations.

Consensus: test early, test comprehensively, act on results. Annual basic physicals miss the markers that matter for longevity.