The sharpest minds in longevity — from Peter Attia and Andrew Huberman to Mark Hyman, Oliver Zolman, and researchers at the Buck Institute and Human Longevity Inc. — no longer settle for the standard 12-marker blood panel.
They track 100+ advanced biomarkers to detect dysfunction 10–20 years early, guide precise interventions, and measure biological age reversal in real time.
A growing body of research (Nature Microbiology 2024–2025 reviews, American Gut Project follow-ups, and the ZOE PREDICT studies) now shows that up to 70–90 % of chronic age-related diseases — from cardiovascular events and insulin resistance to neuroinflammation and hormone disruption — have direct, causal links to gut microbiome dysbiosis. The microbiome is no longer “emerging science” — it’s the foundational upstream driver that blood biomarkers reveal downstream effects of.
Until recently, this depth required $5,000–$25,000 executive programs or private physician access.
Today, one consumer platform has made it available to everyone — and the leading minds are taking notice.
The Platform That Makes It Possible: Function Health 🧬
Function Health delivers this exact longevity-grade panel — physician-ordered, 100+ biomarkers, two tests per year.
No insurance. No doctor visit. One 10-minute Quest draw.
Members get:
- Baseline + follow-up (included)
- Physician-reviewed results + trends
- Optional Galleri cancer screen & epigenetic age
In 2025, Function is trusted by top physicians for their own health, influential voices in longevity, and executives optimizing for centenarian healthspan.
Members routinely reverse issues standard labs miss — and many then layer on gut testing (Viome, Zoe, or Thorne) once blood markers point the way.
The Markers That Actually Move the Needle (for Longevity + Healthspan) 🚀
| Category | Top Biomarkers (2025 Consensus) | Why They Matter (Especially Gut–Systemic Links) | Optimal Ranges (Aggressive Targets) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cardiovascular (Cause #1) | ApoB, Lp(a), LDL particle number/size, oxidized LDL, sdLDL | Dysbiotic gut → TMAO & endotoxin-driven plaque; ApoB catches it decades early | ApoB <60 mg/dL, Lp(a) <30 nmol/L |
| Metabolic & Insulin Signaling | Fasting insulin, HOMA-IR, leptin, adiponectin, CGM trends (optional) | Gut permeability (“leaky gut”) is the #1 trigger of systemic insulin resistance | Insulin <8 μU/mL, HOMA-IR <1.0 |
| Inflammation (Hallmark #1) | hs-CRP, ferritin, omega-3 index, AA/EPA ratio, homocysteine | 90 %+ of circulating inflammatory cytokines originate from gut dysbiosis | hs-CRP <0.5 mg/L, omega-3 >8 % |
| Hormonal Optimization | DHEA-S, free testosterone, estradiol, SHBG, morning cortisol, IGF-1 | Microbiome modulates sex-hormone binding and cortisol metabolism via beta-glucuronidase | DHEA-S 300–500 μg/dL (age-adjusted) |
| Thyroid Function | Free T3, Free T4, Reverse T3, TSH, thyroid antibodies | Hashimoto’s and subclinical hypo are strongly linked to gut pathogens and LPS | Free T3 upper quartile |
| Nutrient Status | Vitamin D, RBC magnesium, zinc, copper, selenium, B12, folate | Gut absorption issues are the root cause of 60–80 % of clinical deficiencies | Vitamin D 50–80 ng/mL |
| Kidney & Liver Precision | Cystatin C, GGT, AST:ALT ratio | Early NAFLD and kidney strain often begin with gut-derived toxins | Cystatin C <0.85 mg/L |
| Biological Age Markers | Epigenetic age (partner labs), inflammatory/metabolic age | Microbiome diversity is now the strongest known predictor of biological age acceleration | Biological age < chronological |
The Bottom Line
The standard blood panel physicians order hasn’t evolved much in 30 years. It’s designed to flag obvious disease, not to optimize healthspan or reveal the subtle, reversible drifts.
Your annual physical keeps you safe. Function Health keeps you optimized — and hands you the steering wheel.
Remove the blinders. Drive your own biology 🧬
Function Health gives you the clearest, most actionable dashboard available today ✨
Start your first panel here: Access 100+ lab tests at Function Health
(Two tests included. The highest-ROI health investment most members ever make.) 🏆
Stop guessing. Start measuring. Live longer, better.
