The 5 Important Blood Tests for Healthy Aging

My Top 5 Must-Have Blood Tests

Apr 09, 2025

Healthy aging starts with understanding your body’s unique story. And while blood tests can offer powerful clues, there’s no universal “checklist” that fits everyone.

Your age, genetics, lifestyle, health goals, and even your worries about the future all shape what tests are worth doing. But in countries like the US, where heart disease, cancer, diabetes, obesity, and cognitive decline top the list of concerns, some labs can offer helpful early insights.

Here are five that I often recommend to my patients and coaching clients as part of a personalized prevention plan:

1. ApoB

This is one of the best markers for cardiovascular risk. Unlike LDL-C, ApoB gives you a direct count of the particles that can lead to plaque buildup. It's especially helpful if you have a family history of heart disease or if your cholesterol panel looks “normal” but something still feels off.

It’s cheap and readily available. I use Rupa Health or LabCorp to order this for my patients.

2. hs-CRP

Inflammation plays a role in almost every age-related disease, heart attacks, stroke, Alzheimer’s, arthritis, even cancer. A high-sensitivity CRP can detect low-grade, chronic inflammation before symptoms show up. If it's elevated, it doesn’t mean something’s wrong, but it does mean it’s time to dig deeper.

There are other biomarkers for inflammation, such as ESR. And, never disregard your symptoms of inflammation, from fatigue to acne, to bloating, or joint pains.

3. Fasting Insulin

Insulin resistance can sneak up silently, often years before blood sugar rises. This test can show whether your cells are still responding well to insulin, or whether your body is starting to struggle. It’s one of the best early predictors of metabolic health and long-term energy.

A good alternative is a 30-minute, 1-hour, and 2-hour fingerstick after a large sugar intake. For those who have little insulin resistance, their blood sugar shouldn’t fluctuate too much even with high-sugar intake.

4. Hemoglobin A1C

While not perfect, A1C gives a 3-month average of your blood sugar. It’s a common test for diabetes screening, but also helpful for tracking how diet, stress, and sleep are affecting your metabolism over time.

5. Uric Acid

Often overlooked, uric acid levels can reveal a lot about your risk for metabolic dysfunction, gout, and even kidney health. Elevated levels can show up long before symptoms. It’s not a test for everyone, but in the context of fatigue, hypertension, or excess belly fat, it can be a piece of the puzzle.

Bonus: A DEXA Scan

While not a blood test, I often recommend a DEXA scan as a one-time baseline. It checks both your bone density and body composition: muscle vs. fat. It’s a great way to track the kind of weight you’re gaining or losing, especially as hormones shift with age.

Final Thoughts

There’s no perfect list. What matters is that your labs reflect your priorities, not just your risks, but your health goals too. Do you want more energy? Sharper memory? Stronger bones? Fewer pills in your 60s?

Healthy aging is about prioritizing the interventions that you can realistically stick to, to get the health results you’re after now, and a couple of decades in the future.

If you’re not sure where to start, I’d love to help you design a plan that actually makes sense for you.

Let’s build a body that lasts.