What are biomarkers?
“Biomarker” has become a buzzy term in the longevity and anti aging space. It sounds super high tech and futuristic. Many sites selling biomarkers are just doing labwork. Not that the labwork isn’t insightful or worthwhile, but if you are really trying to assess biomarkers, we should hone that list.
- Wikipedia will tell you biomarkers “In biomedical contexts, a biomarker, or biological marker, is a measurable indicator of some biological state or condition. Biomarkers are often measured and evaluated using blood, urine, or soft tissues.”
- The NIH just had a conference on what is a biomarker. The recent NIH Biomarkers Definitions working group offered “a biomarker is a characteristic that is objectively measured and evaluated as an indicator of normal biological processes, pathogenic processes, or pharmacological responses to a therapeutic intervention.”
So biomarkers are testable levels- blood pressure, heart rate, blood work like hematocrit or blood glucose level- that we then use to track things. What is your heart health? Did this treatment work?
We test biomarkers all the time at our SF and Palo Alto Biohackr Clinics. Weight, blood pressure, thyroid levels, hematocrit, blood sugar, body fat percentage. These are all biomarkers.
Why the recent focus on biomarkers?
We at Biohackr Health love the focus on biomarkers, as biomarkers give us trackable levels to see where you are in the spectrum of disease, and if you do interventions, did they work.
In the past diseases were tracked by the endpoint- irreversible disease or death. You HAD a heart attack, you HAVE diabetes. Biomarkers are a way to try to figure out things earlier on. ARE YOU AT RISK? Are you at risk for heart disease? If so, what measures have you taken- exercise, a cholesterol lowering medication, better diet, weight loss, GLP- and did it work? This is all about prevention.
We want to find those at risk for a disease when they are in the “pre” stage and try to fix it so you never get to the irreversible end point, like having a heart attack or diabetes. It is hard to reverse disease. It is easier to prevent it or slow the development of the issue.
These biomarkers can be used on a population basis to predict the health more globally. Some aging populations have termed this “biomeasure,” which encompasses the biomarkers of disease, physical condition, genetic risks, and biologic indicators of aging.
So what biomarkers do we look at with Biohackr Health?
This is a bigger question. There is no “panel” of biomarkers. This is an area where we differentiate more depending on what your issues are.
We created the Biohackr Benchmark to do a broad evaluation of your health: cancer risk, genetics, micronutrients, weight, body fat and muscle percentages, cardiac calcium scan, and labwork- thyroid, cholesterol, blood sugar, liver health, kidney health, vitamin levels, and more. See the Benchmark HERE. We created this benchmark to do broad testing so you can hone in on what YOUR issues are. As we say repeatedly, you cannot throw all your energy in every direction all the time. It is overwhelming as the list of what you can test for is endless.
You need to figure out what your issues are and focus more on those. You may have some idea from prior testing, your genetics (what issues did your mom and dad have? what “runs in the family”?), or common diseases for your age. When you figure out your problematic areas, do a deep dive into those.
What are the biomarkers of aging?
This is a little controversial still. Are the biomarkers of aging the length of your telomeres? The DNA methylation in your cells? Is it something more concrete? Are aging biomarkers looking at your risk? actual disease? Loss of function? Disability? Imminent Death?
Aging has been defined as a “disablement” process.
- There is an orderly progression because of disease or condition, where you lose the ability to perform functions like work, caring for yourself (eating, bathing), and cannot live independently without assistance (walking, driving).
- “Frailty” is related to this. Frailty means acute and chronic disease and physiologic decline make it so you cannot perform the tasks of daily living.
Large studies have been done to look at this: Framingham study, The MacArthur Study of Successful Aging, and NHANES . They don’t all use the same biomarkers, but there is a clear theme. They look at measurable common general parameters to see who it is at risk and how interventions help.
- Cardiovascular system biomarkers: systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, resting pulse rate, total homocysteine
- Biomarkers of metabolic processes
- Cholesterol- total, LDL, VLDL, HDL, triglycerides,
- Blood sugar- fasting glucose, HBA1c
- Weight- BMI, Body Roundness Index (Waist to hip ratio), Leptin, Adiponectin
- Inflammation and Immunity- C reactive protein, IL-6 (interleukin 6), fibrinogen, albumin, tumor necrosis factor, serum amyloid, CMV, EBV, T cells
- Brain biomarkers – Amyloid and Tau
- Organ function–
- Kidney: creatine, urine, glomerular filtration rate
- Lung- Peak expiratory flow
- Heart- EKG
- Oxidative stress- reactive oxidative species (ROS), superoxide dismutase (SOD)
How can Biohackr Health help?
Welcome to our world! This is what we focus on for our Bay Area clients. We can help you tailor what you need.
- We can help you do a broad scan of your biomarkers to see what you need to focus on. BIOHACKR BENCHMARK
- Overwhelmed? Don’t know where to start? Meet with our longevity and healthspan clinician one on one. This visit may be covered by insurance and will be about an hour deep dive into what you may need. TELEHEALTH
- Know your issue and want a deeper dive? See our individual pages on
- Antiaging (brain, general longevity, NAD, and more)
- Sexual and Hormonal Health (Menopause, hormone support, testosterone, libido)
- Body strength, endurance, and composition (muscle and fat percentage, creatine, VO2 )
- Weight (BMI, muscle/fat percentages, medical weight loss, GLP, creatine)
- Micronutrients and nutrition (nutrient levels, IV therapies, and more)
- Beauty (microneedling, hair restoration, exosomes, PRP, PRF, Botox, fillers, and more)
More blogs to come in depth on biomarkers. Be thoughtful. Many places tout “100 biomarkers!” but they are really just traditional lab tests. Not that lab testing results are not insightful and important, but it is the buzzy selling of them now as “biomarkers” that misleads. You should know what you are testing, why you are testing it, what a good number is, and what interventions should be done.
We will help walk you through it.
Medical references:
BIOMARKERS RELATED TO AGING IN HUMAN POPULATIONS