HEALTHY BY DEZIGN
Longevity & Wellness Laboratory Guide
A practical conversation starter for your healthcare provider
Healthy aging starts with understanding the whole picture. Bloodwork can help identify nutritional deficiencies, metabolic concerns, and cardiovascular risk factors that may benefit from follow-up. This guide highlights tests worth discussing with your clinician—not a universal order set or a promise that every number should be pushed toward an “optimal” target.
Foundational tests to discuss
| Test | Why it may be useful |
| Complete blood count (CBC) | Screens for anemia and changes in blood cells. |
| Comprehensive metabolic panel (CMP) | Reviews kidney and liver markers, electrolytes, glucose, and protein levels. |
| Lipid panel | Measures LDL-C, HDL-C, triglycerides, and total cholesterol for cardiovascular risk assessment. |
| Hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) | Estimates average blood glucose over approximately 2–3 months; useful for diabetes screening when appropriate. |
| 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] | Assesses vitamin D status when testing is clinically indicated, such as suspected deficiency or relevant risk factors. |
Inflammation and cardiovascular risk
| Test | Why it may be useful |
| High-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) | May refine cardiovascular risk assessment in selected adults; rises with infections and other inflammation, so context matters. |
| Lipoprotein(a) [Lp(a)] | An inherited cardiovascular risk factor; many guidelines support measuring it at least once in adulthood. |
| Apolipoprotein B (ApoB) | Can help clarify atherogenic particle burden, especially when triglycerides are elevated or risk is uncertain. |
Additional tests based on symptoms, history, or risk
| Test | Why it may be useful |
| TSH ± free T4 | Consider with thyroid symptoms or suspected thyroid disease; not a blanket hormone panel. |
| Vitamin B12 ± methylmalonic acid | Consider with anemia, neuropathy, restricted diets, malabsorption, or certain medications. |
| Ferritin ± iron studies | Useful when iron deficiency or overload is suspected; ferritin also rises with inflammation. |
| Urine albumin-to-creatinine ratio (uACR) | Important for people with diabetes, hypertension, or kidney risk; assesses albumin leakage. |
| Cystatin C / cystatin C-based eGFR | May clarify kidney filtration when creatinine is misleading, including in some creatine users. |
| Other hormone testing | Only when symptoms and clinical history support testing; interpretation should be clinician-led. |
What about other inflammatory markers?
ESR (erythrocyte sedimentation rate) and standard CRP may be useful when a clinician is evaluating suspected inflammatory or autoimmune disease. They are not routine longevity screens for everyone. Tests such as IL-6, TNF-alpha, broad cytokine panels, and oxidative-stress panels generally lack established utility for routine screening in otherwise well adults.
Before your blood draw
- Ask your clinician which tests are appropriate for your age, symptoms, medical history, and medications.
- Bring a complete list of prescriptions and supplements (including biotin and creatine), since some can alter results or interfere with assays.
- Do not stop medications or supplements solely for testing unless your healthcare professional instructs you to.
- Ask whether fasting is required; many routine tests do not require it.
- Review results in context: trends, symptoms, risk, and clinical outcomes matter more than chasing a single “perfect” number.
Bring your results to your consultation
During your Healthy by Dezign Bloodwork Review & Wellness Optimization Consultation, we discuss what your results may mean alongside nutrition, activity, sleep, stress, and supplement habits. Our goal is to help you ask informed questions and identify practical next steps with your healthcare provider.
Schedule Your Wellness Consultation | healthybydezign.com
Important: This educational guide is not a laboratory requisition, diagnosis, or individualized medical advice. “Normal” and “optimal” are not interchangeable: lower or higher is not always better. Always make testing and treatment decisions with a licensed healthcare professional.