The 5 Essential Biomarkers for Longevity (and How to Measure Them)

Traditional medicine often focuses on diagnosing diseases when they're already present. Longevity medicine (or medicine 3.0) focuses on optimizing health to prevent decline. Here are the 5 biomarkers you should focus on.

1. VO2 Max: Aerobic Power

As discussed in the dedicated article, VO2 Max is the king of longevity biomarkers. It represents the functional integration of heart, lungs, vascular system, and muscles.

• How to measure it:
  • Gold Standard: Metabolic test in a sports lab.
  • DIY: Cooper Test (run as far as possible in 12 minutes) or estimate via Smartwatch (Apple Watch, Garmin).

2. Grip Strength: Hand Grip

Grip strength isn't just for opening jars. It's a reliable proxy for overall muscle strength and physical robustness. Muscle weakness is strongly correlated with frailty and mortality in the elderly.

• How to measure it: Hand dynamometer (costs a few dozen euros).
• Goal: Be in the top quartile for your age.

3. ApoB: Apolipoprotein B

While total cholesterol and LDL are standard, ApoB is a superior measure of cardiovascular risk. Every particle that causes plaque in arteries (LDL, VLDL, IDL) carries an ApoB protein. An Omega-3 rich diet (e.g. salmon) can help improve the lipid profile. Counting ApoB means counting exactly how many dangerous particles you have in your blood.

• How to measure it: Specific blood test (often needs to be requested separately).
• Goal: < 80 mg/dL (or < 60 mg/dL for high risk).

4. HbA1c: Glycated Hemoglobin

Measures average blood sugar over the last 3 months. It's essential for understanding your insulin sensitivity and diabetes risk long before fasting blood sugar becomes problematic.

• How to measure it: Standard blood test.
• Goal: < 5.4% (optimal). Values between 5.7% and 6.4% indicate pre-diabetes.

5. hs-CRP: High-Sensitivity C-Reactive Protein

Low-grade chronic inflammation ("inflammaging") underlies almost all aging diseases, from cancer to Alzheimer's. hs-CRP is a systemic indicator of this inflammation.

• How to measure it: Blood test.
• Goal: < 1.0 mg/L (low risk).

Action Plan

Don't try to optimize everything at once. Start with physical tests (VO2 Max and Grip Strength) that you can do independently or at the gym. Then, at your next check-up, ask your doctor to include ApoB, HbA1c, and hs-CRP.

For a detailed list of all blood values to monitor (including insulin, ferritin, and vitamin D), consult our complete guide to blood work.