⚠️ Educational Use Only: This document is not medical advice. It is an educational guide by 🌐 tenetiq.io intended to improve health literacy. For diagnosis, treatment, or medical decisions, always consult a licensed healthcare provider or your GP.
Welcome to the Pathology Wayfinder, your starting point for understanding blood tests related to performance, prevention, and longevity.
This guide simplifies key biomarker panels—both baseline and advanced—to help you take control of your health, have better conversations with your doctor, and pursue actionable insights using objective data. It is not a substitute for professional medical advice but a tool to inform, inspire, and empower.
Blood Testing Protocol – For a Reliable Baseline
CheckUpUltra vs EnduranceNutrition Comparison
These panels (foundational for checking your overall health, organ function, and risk factors) are commonly available via your GP or through private labs.
| Panel | Biomarkers | What to Look For | Cost | Summary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Complete Blood Count (CBC) | Hemoglobin, Hematocrit, RBC, WBC, Platelets, MCV, MCH, MCHC, RDW, Neutrophils, Lymphocytes | 🔻 RBC/Hemoglobin = Anaemia | ||
| 🔺 Neutrophils = bacterial infection | ||||
| 🔺 Lymphocytes = viral infection | ||||
| ⚠️ WBC/Platelet imbalances | $0 GP / ~$43 private | |||
| Lipids | Total Cholesterol, HDL Cholesterol, LDL Cholesterol, Non-HDL Cholesterol, Triglycerides | 🔺 High LDL or Triglycerides | ||
| 🔻 Low HDL | ||||
| ⚠️ High LDL/HDL ratio = Increased CVD risk | $0 GP / ~$44 private | Assesses heart health via fat profile. to gauge Cardiovascular Disease Risk(CVD) | ||
| Basic Metabolic Panel | Calcium, Urea (BUN), Uric Acid, Creatinine, Bicarbonate, Chloride, Potassium, Sodium, Phosphate | ⚠️ Kidney issues: High BUN, Uric Acid, Creatinine | ||
| ⚠️ Electrolyte imbalances | ||||
| 🔻 Low Calcium may indicate nutritional deficiency | $0 GP / ~$39 private | Screens kidney function, fluid balance | ||
| Comprehensive Metabolic Panel | Total Protein, Albumin, Globulin, ALP, AST, ALT, Bilirubin, Gamma GT, Creatine Kinase, Hemoglobin A1C, Fasting Glucose | 🔺 Liver disease: ALT, AST, ALP, GGT | ||
| ⚠️ Inflammation or infection: High CK, Globulin | ||||
| 🔸 Pre-diabetes: HbA1C > 5.7% | ||||
| 🔺 Diabetes: HbA1C > 6.5%, Glucose > 7 mmol/L | $0 GP / ~$67 private | Expanded metabolic + liver assessment |
Hemoglobin A1C, Fasting Glucose detect insulin sensitivity & diabetes risk | | Iron Studies | Ferritin, TIBC, Transferrin, Transferrin Saturation | ⚠️ Iron overload or deficiency 🔻 Ferritin = iron deficiency/anaemia 🔺 Ferritin = inflammation or liver issues | $0 GP / ~$58 private | Tracks iron transport, storage & energy | | Thyroid Studies | TSH, Free T3, Free T4 | 🔺 TSH + 🔻T3/T4 = Hypothyroidism 🔻 TSH + 🔺T3/T4 = Hyperthyroidism | $0 GP / ~$57 private | Monitors thyroid-related metabolic rate | | Hormone Panel | Testosterone (Free & Total), SHBG, DHEA-S, FSH, LH, Estradiol, Progesterone, Prolactin, Cortisol, Insulin | ⚠️ Complex interpretation by sex/age Men: focus on Free Testosterone Women: balance across cycle 🔺 Cortisol = stress (working on a better version based on genders) | $0 GP / ~$132 private | Supports mood, metabolism & fertility | | Inflammation | Creatine Kinase (CK), hsCRP | 🔺 hsCRP = systemic inflammation, CV risk 🔺 CK = muscle damage or strenuous activity | $0 GP / ~$43 private | Assesses chronic inflammation or stress | | Nutritional | Vitamin D, Vitamin B12, Folate (Vitamin B9), Magnesium | wip | $0 GP / | Basic nutritional markers & there’s additional ones that can be checked but that’s part of more advanced checking |
These are precision biomarkers that correlate with chronic disease risk, aging, and performance. Many require private lab or out of pocket expense.
| Biomarker | Biomarker | Category | What to Look For | Cost | Summary |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lipids-Advanced | Lipoprotein(a) – Lp(a) | Cardiovascular | 🔺 High = genetic predisposition to CVD, not modified by lifestyle | $53 | LDL subtype, inherited risk factor |
| Apolipoprotein B (ApoB) | Cardiovascular | 🔺 High = elevated atherogenic particle count | $58 | Better LDL risk predictor than total LDL | |
| Apolipoprotein A1 (ApoA1) | Cardiovascular | 🔻 Low = increased CV risk | Included | Protective HDL component | |
| LDL / Triglycerides | Cardiovascular | 🔺 High = atherosclerosis and stroke risk | $44 | Key standard lipid markers | |
| Metabolic-Advanced | ALT & AST | Metabolic | 🔺 High = liver stress, fatty liver, damage | $39 | Already included in baseline. Enzymes used to track liver function. Incl. in the foundational blood test but useful from longevity pov. |
| OGTT + Insulin | Metabolic | 🔺 Insulin or 2h Glucose = pre-diabetes, insulin resistance | $77 | Deep test for glucose management | |
| Homocysteine | Metabolic / Cardiovascular | 🔺 High = poor methylation, CV risk | $46 | Tracks detox + vascular inflammation | |
| Uric Acid | Metabolic / Cardiovascular | 🔺 High = gout risk, inflammation, poor renal clearance | $12 | Lifestyle-influenced metabolic marker | |
| IGF-1(Hormone), Insulin | Metabolic / Cancer | 🔺 High = increased cancer proliferation potential | $77 | Tracks cell growth and insulin load | |
| Inflammation-Advanced | hsCRP | Inflammation | 🔺 High = chronic low-grade inflammation, CV disease | $31 | Cardiovascular inflammation marker |
| Fibrinogen | Inflammation | 🔺 High = pro-thrombotic, inflammatory state | $38 | Risk of clotting, inflammation | |
| Lp-PLA2 | Inflammation | 🔺 High = vascular inflammation risk | GP | Linked with unstable plaque rupture | |
| Oxidised LDL (OxLDL) | Inflammation / Oxidative Stress | 🔺 High = arterial wall damage, oxidized cholesterol | $195 | Highly specific oxidative damage marker | |
| Nutritional-Advanced | wip | wip - additional nutrient to the baseline nutritional testing in the body | |||
| Genetic | ApoE Genotype | Neurodegenerative | e4 allele = higher Alzheimer’s risk | $154 | Genetic longevity/Alzheimer’s insight |
| PSEN1, PSEN2, APP | Neurodegenerative | Gene mutations = familial early-onset Alzheimer’s | GP | Rare but high-penetrance gene risk | |
| Cancer | Prostate-Specific Antigen (PSA) | Cancer (Men) | 🔺 High = prostate enlargement or malignancy | $42 | Routine prostate health marker |
| Cancer Antigen 125 (CA125) | Cancer (Women) | 🔺 Elevated = ovarian cancer signal | $131 | Early warning biomarker for women | |
| BRCA1 | Cancer | Mutation = breast/ovarian cancer genetic risk | GP | Requires genetic counselling | |
| CEA | Cancer | 🔺 Elevated = colorectal cancer (non-specific) | $47 | Tumor marker for bowel and others |