.jpg)
Some ailments have obvious symptoms that can inspire a trip to the doctor’s office to get them checked out. But many chronic conditions that affect men, like cardiovascular disease and metabolic dysfunction, can progress for years before noticeable signs emerge. In addition, men face some unique risks when it comes to disease. They develop coronary heart disease an average of 10 years before women. Men also tend to accumulate visceral fat which is deep abdominal fat that surrounds organs and increases one’s risk of conditions like heart disease more easily than premenopausal women. And age-related testosterone decline isn’t always obvious until it starts to create issues like a dwindling sex drive and decreased energy and stamina. That’s where blood biomarkers can play an important role.
Biomarkers can help identify early physiological changes before symptoms appear, offering insight into areas that may warrant closer monitoring or lifestyle adjustments. And since men are statistically less likely to seek preventive care, biomarkers can be a powerful tool to help identify early signs of dysfunction.
Read on for a look at 11 biomarkers that offer critical insight into a man’s long-term health.
1. Apolipoprotein B (ApoB)
When it comes to evaluating heart health, a standard cholesterol panel may not provide the full picture. ApoB measures the number of potentially harmful lipoprotein particles circulating in the bloodstream that can contribute to plaque buildup in the arteries. Unlike traditional cholesterol tests that measure the amount of cholesterol itself, ApoB provides the total number of particles carrying that cholesterol.
As cardiovascular disease tends to develop earlier in men than women, ApoB can be a helpful way for men to check in on their heart disease risk especially as ApoB levels can be elevated even when standard cholesterol levels appear normal. Elevated ApoB levels also often have no symptoms in early stages, making this biomarker a potentially valuable tool for identifying cardiovascular risk earlier.
2. Lipoprotein(a) [Lp(a)]
Often called Lp(a), Lipoprotein(a) is a type of lipoprotein particle that carries cholesterol through the bloodstream. Lipoproteins tend to be stickier than other types of LDL particles, which means they are more likely to contribute to plaque buildup in the arteries, which can increase the risk of heart disease and serious conditions like heart attacks and strokes. Unlike many cholesterol-related biomarkers, your Lp(a) levels are mostly determined by genetics rather than lifestyle habits alone.
Since men are more likely to get heart disease than women, this biomarker can be an important factor in understanding a man’s cardiovascular risk. Elevated Lp(a) levels may also occur without noticeable symptoms, which makes this blood test useful for helping identify inherited cardiovascular risk earlier.
3. High-Sensitivity C-Reactive Protein (hs-CRP)
C-reactive protein is a protein made by the liver that increases when there’s inflammation in the body. Compared to a standard C-reactive protein test, the high-sensitivity test can detect smaller increases in C-reactive protein. Elevated levels can signal inflammation in the body. And long-term inflammation has been associated with cardiovascular disease, metabolic dysfunction, and other chronic health conditions.
hs-CRP may provide additional context around heart and metabolic health when interpreted alongside markers like ApoB and glucose-related biomarkers.
4. Fasting Glucose
A fasting glucose test measures blood sugar levels at a single point in time after fasting for a period of 8 to 12 hours. This provides a snapshot of how capable the body is of regulating blood sugar at that moment. Shifts in fasting glucose may occur in men alongside changes in weight, visceral fat accumulation, activity levels, and metabolic health.
5. Hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c)
Hemoglobin A1c is a blood test that measures your average level of blood glucose over the previous two to three months. It provides a longer-term view of glucose regulation compared to a single blood sugar measurement.
Men tend to accumulate visceral fat more easily than premenopausal women, which can increase the risk of metabolic issues like insulin resistance over time. Higher levels of HbA1c may indicate changes in blood sugar regulation and can be associated with prediabetes (A1c 5.7-6.4) and an increased risk of developing diabetes (A1c 6.5 and above) over time.
6. Total Testosterone
Men begin to lose testosterone at a gradual annual pace starting around age 35. Levels can also be influenced by lifestyle factors like chronic stress, poor sleep, metabolic dysfunction, decreased skeletal muscle and excess body fat.
A total testosterone test measures the overall amount of testosterone circulating in the bloodstream. Testosterone plays an important role in muscle mass, energy levels, mood, libido, bone health, and body composition. Lower testosterone levels may be associated with fatigue, reduced muscle mass, and changes in physical performance or sexual health.
Related: Why you should be tracking your body composition
7. Free Testosterone
There are two forms of testosterone. Testosterone that is bound to proteins in the bloodstream and testosterone that circulates freely. This biomarker measures the unattached form known as “free testosterone.” Unlike total testosterone, free testosterone reflects the amount of hormone that is readily available for the body to use. Testing this alongside total testosterone can provide a more complete picture of hormonal health.
8. ALT and AST
ALT (Alanine Aminotransferase) and AST (Aspartate Aminotransferase) are liver enzymes that can provide insight into liver health and metabolic stress. The liver plays a central role in many metabolic processes in the body, including metabolism, blood sugar regulation, and fat processing. Elevated liver enzymes in men may sometimes be associated with visceral fat accumulation, alcohol intake, or metabolic dysfunction. They can also be associated with conditions like nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), recently renamed to “metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD),” which is more common in men than in women.
9. Vitamin D
Vitamin D is important for everything from bone health, to immune function, muscle health, and overall wellness. Low vitamin D levels are relatively common, especially in those with limited sun exposure.
A healthy vitamin D level important for maintaining musculoskeletal health and physical function over time. It’s even been linked to helping men to maintain an erection. Lower levels may be associated with reduced bone and muscle health.
10. Ferritin
Ferritin is a blood protein that binds to iron and stores it in the body. If levels are low, this means the body’s iron stores are low, which can indicate conditions like anemia. In men, it could also be linked to GI issues and a variety of underlying conditions that affect nutrient absorption or cause internal bleeding. High ferritin levels, on the other hand, may sometimes be associated with inflammation, liver disease, or excess iron storage.
11. Prostate-Specific Antigen (PSA)
PSA is a protein made by the prostate. This biomarker can help provide insights into prostate health and is commonly used as part of broader prostate health screening. Some prostate conditions become more common with age and changes in PSA levels may sometimes be associated with prostate enlargement, inflammation, cancer, or other changes affecting the prostate.
Related: How to help protect and maintain a healthy prostate
Patterns matter more than individual numbers
When it comes to health, a single biomarker alone rarely tells the full story. Healthcare providers often look at trends over time to show how biomarkers may be reflecting subtle changes in the body. Tracking patterns can help provide a more complete picture of areas like cardiovascular, metabolic, and hormonal health than relying on one number alone.
The relationship between certain biomarkers also matters. For instance, insulin and glucose are often evaluated together to provide deeper insight into metabolic health and insulin sensitivity. ApoB and inflammatory markers such as hs-CRP can help to provide a broader picture of cardiovascular risk. And testosterone levels often provide additional context when viewed alongside body composition changes like visceral fat accumulation and muscle mass.
Men’s health priorities shift across life stages
Early adulthood: Building a baseline: In early adulthood, many health markers may still appear within normal ranges. This makes this an important time to establish baseline measurements for areas like cardiovascular fitness, metabolic health, hormone levels, and body composition. Biomarkers related to glucose regulation, cholesterol particle burden, inflammation, and hormonal health can help provide insight into how the body is functioning during these foundational years.
Midlife: Metabolic and cardiovascular changes become more relevant: As men enter midlife, several physiological changes commonly begin to accelerate. Testosterone levels begin to drop as early as the mid 30s and by 40, may decline by an average of 1% per year. By age 30, muscle mass starts to decrease by as much as 3% to 5% per decade, and visceral fat accumulation can also pick up. Men are also more at risk for cardiovascular disease. These shifts can influence metabolic health, cardiovascular risk, muscle mass, and energy levels. Tracking biomarkers like testosterone levels and ApoB over time may help identify gradual physiological changes that are otherwise easy to miss.
Later life: Preserving muscle, mobility, and metabolic health: In later decades, maintaining muscle mass, strength, mobility, and metabolic health becomes increasingly important as men strive to support long-term independence and quality of life. Age-related muscle loss, known as sarcopenia, continues to accelerate with age, leading to a higher risk of reduced physical function and falls. And older age brings a greater risk of chronic health conditions.
Metabolic processes may also slow with age, while the risk of conditions such as cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, and liver dysfunction increases. Continuing to check in on biomarker status, comparing trends over time, and monitoring changes in inflammation, cardiovascular health, hormone levels, and metabolic function may help men stay on top of health changes before they turn into something more serious.
Deeper insights for men’s health
Blood biomarkers can provide valuable insight into how certain aspects of the body are functioning. Whole body MRI adds structural insight into areas like organ health, visceral fat distribution, muscle mass, and other changes that may develop silently before symptoms appear. Combined with blood biomarker tracking, this can help men better understand how different systems in the body may be changing over time and stay on top of potential health concerns.
Prenuvo Memberships combine whole body MRI, blood biomarker testing, and clinical interpretation to help provide a more complete picture of long-term health. Rather than looking at individual results in isolation, findings are interpreted within the context of larger health patterns and changes over time.
Related: The new proactive health standards for men
From cardiovascular risk to hormone health and metabolic function, Prenuvo Memberships are designed to help men better understand how their health may be changing over time. To learn more about the benefits of Prenuvo’s whole body MRI, Body Composition Analysis, blood biomarker testing, and see which Prenuvo Membership is right for you, book a call with a member of the Patient Services Team.
.webp)
