image credit: Canva and The Wolf of Wall Street
Back in 2013, when the movie The Wolf of Wall Street came out, I remember how people counted how many times Leonardo DiCaprio’s character, Jordan Belfort, said the f-word (569 times). The movie set a world record for profanity.
When I recently attended the first “longevity festival” in the UK, I think it might have set a similar record for the longevity space, this time for the word biomarker.
Nearly a dozen companies offered 3,000 people a chance to assess 150-plus biomarkers for under $500. For two days, representatives for creatine gummies, mushroom chocolates, and AI-driven fitness tools, plus speakers, health tech CEOs, and scientists, drilled into their importance.
Yet for some reason, I could hear biomarker 569 more times and still not know what it really means— let alone what’s truly relevant for influencing aging.
Though the answer can feel as confusing as the definition of an aging biomarker, learning to track the right ones might be simpler than you thought.
How many biomarkers do you actively track?
What is a biomarker?
Think of biomarkers as biological tokens that tell you something about your health. They are taking off in aging and longevity because they make “how old are you?” something that can be measured, tracked, and tested, and potentially ‘changed’ on a physiological level. Based on a review in Nature and other literature:
Physiological biomarkers of aging are cardiorespiratory fitness, skeletal muscle strength, body composition, and neuromuscular function.
Molecular biomarkers of aging might include DNA methylation (often used by companies that measure biological age, or ‘cellular age’), telomere length, proteins, and cholesterol.
Many biomarkers decline or become dysregulated with age, so interventions that improve biomarkers may be more likely to improve how well you age, or influence the aging process itself.
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The consumerization of biomarkers
The idea of biomarkers feels en vogue, but humans have always looked at biology for health. Ancient physicians even used the color of bile and urine to gauge disease risk.
Today, some databases now recognize more than 3,000 biomarkers linked to nearly just as many conditions, and many companies are offering direct-to-consumer biomarker and biological age testing to democratize the data.
Some biomarkers are familiar and well-established, like blood pressure, which helps estimate cardiovascular risk. Others are new and more precise—for example, Tau protein is emerging as a blood biomarker for Alzheimer’s, and ApoB is increasingly seen as a better predictor of cardiovascular disease risk than LDL cholesterol.
The ongoing challenge (and maybe the reason I’m so confused, despite my years writing about the industry) is that this very long list of possible biomarkers isn't very helpful if you don't know which ones matter, how to interpret them, or what to do next.
“You get a blood draw, and you get the results, and then what?” says Andrea Maier, Founder of Chi Longevity and professor at the National University of Singapore, in a session.
Ironically, consumers can now test dozens (or even hundreds) of biomarkers related to aging, yet we still don’t even have a universally accepted biomarker of aging.
image credit: The Longevity Show
There’s no universally accepted aging biomarker (so here are 9 potentially useful biomarkers and tests)
Aging happens differently throughout the body, Maier says. She explains that trying to identify one single aging biomarker is impossible, and it probably (definitely) shouldn't be the goal.
Instead, the standardization of metrics and methodology of multiple markers matters more.
Based on insights I gleaned from the talk, along with current tests being used in longevity practices, these metrics (sometimes ‘unsexy,’ which Maier warns) appear to go a long way when it comes to maintaining or improving overall health and the aging trajectory. You can get them at a primary care visit, via blood tests, or with consumer tools or companies.
The Markers:
VO₂ max: A measure of cardiorespiratory fitness. A recent review found that each one MET increase in VO2 max may reduce the risk of dying up to 15%.
BMI: Weight remains one of the simplest and most practical indicators of health, Maier says. However, body composition (the ratio of muscle to fat) is considered a more precise, if less accessible, gauge of health.
High-sensitivity CRP: A marker of chronic inflammation that's linked with cardiovascular risk.
Blood pressure: A major longevity marker because long-term elevation damages the heart, brain, and kidneys.
HbA1c: Reflects average blood sugar over roughly three months and helps identify metabolic risk.
ApoB or a lipid profile: ApoB reflects the number of cholesterol-carrying particles and is increasingly used in preventive cardiology.
Cognitive testing: Memory assessments can help evaluate brain health and dementia risk.
Microbiome testing: "How many friends do you have in your gut?" Maier asked. A diverse, fiber-rich diet rich in fermented foods is likely to support a healthier microbiome.
Vitamin deficiency testing: Nutrients including Omega-3 index and vitamin B12 are linked with healthy cell function.
What do you do with these biomarkers?
That’s the real question, after all, and, according to Maier, improving them is not a shot in the dark. We have interventions that can improve most of these longevity biomarkers, plus others.
They’re just not things people want to do.
Sleep, diet, and exercise are proven ways to reduce inflammation. Wearables and blood testing will provide data that you can share with a GP or longevity clinician, who can interpret it and help identify next steps or develop a personalized plan.
It’s also important to recognize that interventions should be based on credible science and your own numbers. Maier reiterated that you don’t need a vitamin D drip if you’re not vitamin D deficient, or a NAD+ drip for the sake of it.
“Interventions are not based on an à la carte menu…if you can get interventions based on how you order your meal in a restaurant, don’t do it,” she says.
Do I absolutely need to know 150 biomarkers to be healthier?
The research suggests probably not.
Scientists and health-tech companies are combining more biological data into sophisticated products that may be highly predictive, and many biomarkers of aging can provide useful information. But a relatively small number could be enough to guide meaningful, individualized decisions for most people.
After two days of seeing and hearing about ‘biomarkers,’ I am decidedly going to think less about how many I need to test and more about which ones change what I do next.
The biomarkers you need to know with Dr.Hillary Lin—live July 10 in the Inner Circle.
A new biomarker for centenarians?
Dr. Matthew Dawson on preventative medicine.
“How long have I got to live?” The questions of biological aging.
Take action
Earn CE credits: Members of the Livelong Women's Inner Circle™ can now earn 10 CE hours through Pinnacle Conference, LLC. Physicians, nurses, PAs, pharmacists, dentists, dietitians, social workers, and athletic trainers can use code CECREDIT for $50 off their first year.
Improve your longevity: Join a community. The Livelong Women’s Inner Circle TM is where women who are done going it alone figure it out together — with experts, with each other, and without the overwhelm. 👉 Join the Inner Circle
When and who is fasting not good for? LIV has the answer.
We asked, you answered:
This question appeared in last week’s “What really happens when you quit sugar.”
When it comes to sugar, what's harder for you? Stopping after one treat is the leading response (35%), and boy can I relate. One reader responded, “No such thing as just one and done. Just one leads to all gone.” In moderation, research has fortunately found that sugar is not the enemy, and as many of us know, quality dark chocolate can even have some aging benefits!
Until next time!
Erin
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The information provided about wellness and health is for general informational and educational purposes only. We are not licensed medical professionals, and the content here should not be considered medical advice. Talk to a doctor before trying any of these suggestions.
