Diagnostics & Biomarkers · Biomarkers

The most important longevity biomarkers at a glance

3 min read 2026-05-12 YUTHI Redaktion

Which lab values actually tell you something about your health span? A sober overview of the markers that matter most in longevity medicine.

What biomarkers are good for

A biomarker is a measurable value that tells you something about a physical state. For healthspan, the most interesting ones are those that respond early — long before symptoms appear — and that can be changed through behaviour or treatment.

It is precisely on this second point that markers diverge. Many marketed tests measure something that leads to no actionable response. The selection here therefore follows a simple rule: there must be a consequence you can draw from it.

Metabolism: the four basic values

The long-term blood sugar marker HbA1c reflects the average glucose load over the past two to three months. At 5.7 percent, we speak of prediabetes — a condition that can often be fully reversed through exercise and weight loss. Fasting insulin responds even earlier, because the pancreas compensates for a long time before blood sugar rises.

Add to that the blood lipids: ApoB or alternatively LDL cholesterol as a measure of the particles that deposit in the vessel wall, and triglycerides as an indicator of insulin sensitivity. And blood pressure — the simplest and most underestimated value of all. You can measure it at home, and it is the single largest risk factor worldwide.

Inflammation and Kidney Function

High-sensitivity C-reactive protein measures low-grade inflammation. Values below 1 milligram per litre are considered favourable; above 3 they indicate elevated risk — but only when no acute infection is present. During a cold, the value shoots up and says nothing about the underlying baseline.

The estimated glomerular filtration rate describes kidney performance. It naturally declines with age, but a rapid drop is a warning sign — and kidney function also determines which medications are possible at which doses. Both values are routinely measured in a standard GP practice anyway.

What Tells You More Than Any Lab Value

Maximum oxygen uptake, or VO2max for short, is one of the strongest known predictors of life expectancy. Mandsager et al. (2018) analysed data from over 120,000 people: the risk of death between the lowest and the highest performance group differed by more than fourfold.

Add two simple measurements: grip strength, which is linked to overall strength and mortality, and waist circumference as a measure of visceral fat. Both cost nothing, are measured in seconds, and tell you more than most expensive tests.

How to Read Your Values Correctly

A single value is a point, not a picture. What matters is the trend over years — an HbA1c that has risen from 5.2 to 5.6 deserves more attention than one that has sat at 5.6 for ten years. Keep track of your values in one place instead of losing them in doctor's letters.

And if you measure too much, you can harm yourself. Every test has a false-positive rate; if you measure twenty values, statistically one will look abnormal and mean nothing — but it triggers anxiety, follow-up investigations, and costs. López-Otín et al. (2023) described the hallmarks of ageing; in practice, the short list remains the better one. Whatever is measured should be discussed with a doctor.

How the YUTHI App Helps You

The app is the place where your values come together over the years — entered with a date, displayed as a trend. At your next doctor's appointment you show a line instead of a scrap of paper, and that changes the conversation.

Vito and Vita explain each value in plain language and tell you what it means in combination with the others. And they advise against measuring where it brings no benefit — that too is part of putting things in context.

Continue in the app

That was the snapshot. The app turns it into daily support.

Measure every day instead of calculating once: Vito or Vita puts your numbers in context, builds you a weekly plan and speaks up when something stands out.

Soon on theApp Store Soon onGoogle Play

Launching at the end of 2026 — iPhone first, Android to follow. Let me know when it’s out ↓