How to use this list.
"Optimal" ranges below are tighter than standard lab reference ranges. Lab references are designed to flag overt disease; longevity targets are designed to keep you out of the disease state entirely. A "normal" lab result on the standard reference is not the same as an optimal one.
Most U.S. patients can get a baseline panel through their primary care annually for $0–$50 with insurance. Direct-to-consumer providers (Quest, Marek Health, Function Health, InsideTracker, LetsGetChecked) charge $200–$500 for a comprehensive panel. Bulk-order the panel at your local hospital lab via a "lab requisition only" doctor referral — typically the cheapest cash-pay option.
Many tests below cross-link to one of our interpreter tools — click through for a personalized read of your value.
Lipids & Cardiovascular
ApoB
$15–$30Optimal: Optimal <80 mg/dL (<60 if known CVD or Lp(a) high)
The single best lipid marker for atherosclerotic risk. Counts the atherogenic particles directly.
Lp(a)
$30–$80Optimal: <30 mg/dL or <75 nmol/L
Genetic risk factor. Test once in life. Elevated Lp(a) means PREVENT under-estimates your risk.
Interpret your value →hs-CRP
$10–$30Optimal: <1 mg/L (low risk) / <2 mg/L (acceptable)
Inflammation marker. JUPITER showed statin benefit at hs-CRP ≥2 even with normal LDL.
Interpret your value →Lipid panel (TC, HDL, LDL, TG)
$10–$30 (often covered)Optimal: TG <100, HDL >40 M / >50 F, LDL <100 (or <70 if high risk)
Standard panel. ApoB beats it, but most insurance covers this and not ApoB.
Interpret your value →Glucose & Insulin
HbA1c
$10–$30 (often covered)Optimal: <5.5% optimal, 5.7–6.4% pre-diabetes, ≥6.5% diabetes
3-month average glucose. Single best snapshot of long-term insulin function.
Fasting insulin
$30–$50Optimal: <7 µIU/mL optimal, <10 acceptable
Catches insulin resistance before HbA1c moves. The earliest metabolic warning.
Fasting glucose
$5–$15 (often covered)Optimal: 70–90 mg/dL optimal, <100 acceptable
Standard. Combined with fasting insulin → HOMA-IR insulin resistance score.
HOMA-IR (computed)
$0 (compute)Optimal: <1.5 optimal, <2 acceptable, ≥2.5 insulin resistant
(Glucose × Insulin) / 405. Computed from the two values above. Better than either alone.
Iron & Anemia
Ferritin
$15–$30 (often covered)Optimal: M / post-menop F: 50–300 ng/mL. Pre-menop F: 30–150
Iron stores. Low → deficiency; high → overload or inflammation.
Interpret your value →CBC (hemoglobin, hematocrit, MCV)
$10–$25 (covered)Optimal: Hb >12 F / >13.5 M; MCV 80–100 fL
Standard. Picks up overt anemia. Iron deficiency without anemia needs ferritin to catch.
Transferrin saturation
$15–$30Optimal: 20–50%
Pair with ferritin to distinguish iron deficiency from anemia of chronic disease.
Liver, Kidney, Thyroid
Comprehensive metabolic panel (CMP)
$10–$30 (covered)Optimal: See lab
Liver enzymes (AST, ALT), kidney function (creatinine, eGFR), electrolytes. Foundational.
TSH
$15–$30 (covered)Optimal: 0.45–4.5 mIU/L (most labs); functional optimal 1.0–2.5
Thyroid screen. Subclinical hypothyroidism is common and treatable.
Free T4 + Free T3
$30–$60Optimal: Free T4: 0.8–1.8 ng/dL; Free T3: 2.3–4.2 pg/mL
Add to TSH if you suspect thyroid dysfunction — TSH alone misses some cases.
GGT
$10–$25Optimal: <30 U/L
Liver enzyme that responds to alcohol, fatty liver, oxidative stress. Subtle early marker.
Uric acid
$10–$25Optimal: M <6.0, F <5.5 mg/dL
Marker of metabolic dysfunction + gout risk. Elevated uric acid increases CV risk.
Hormones (men + women)
Testosterone (total + free)
$40–$80Optimal: M: total 400–800 ng/dL, free 8–25 pg/mL
Below 300 ng/dL with symptoms → hypogonadism workup. For women, total <70 ng/dL with symptoms is investigated.
SHBG
$30–$60Optimal: 20–80 nmol/L
Binds testosterone. High SHBG with normal total T can still mean low free T.
Estradiol (E2)
$30–$60Optimal: M <40 pg/mL; F by cycle phase
Track for men on TRT or with high BMI. For women → fertility / menopause context.
DHEA-sulfate
$30–$60Optimal: Age- and sex-dependent
Adrenal precursor. Drops with age. Low DHEA-S correlates with frailty and CV risk in older adults.
IGF-1
$50–$100Optimal: 90–360 ng/mL (age-dependent)
Growth hormone signaling. Low → growth hormone deficiency; very high → potential cancer / acromegaly risk.
Vitamins, Minerals, Omega-3
Vitamin D (25-OH)
$30–$50Optimal: 40–80 ng/mL optimal (Endocrine Society)
Deficiency is endemic — under 30 ng/mL = supplement. Affects bone, immunity, mood.
Vitamin B12
$15–$30Optimal: >500 pg/mL optimal
Vegans, older adults, and metformin users are at risk. Neurological symptoms are reversible if caught early.
Magnesium (RBC)
$30–$60Optimal: >5.5 mg/dL (RBC measurement, not serum)
Serum magnesium misses deficiency. RBC magnesium is the better marker. Affects sleep, BP, glucose.
Omega-3 index
$50–$100Optimal: >8% optimal
EPA + DHA as % of red-cell membrane fatty acids. Strong inverse association with cardiovascular events.
Folate / RBC folate
$15–$30Optimal: >5 ng/mL (serum), >300 ng/mL (RBC)
Critical for methylation, blood, neurological function.
What about advanced lipid testing (NMR, particle size)?
NMR LipoProfile (LDL-P, small dense LDL, large HDL) was the standard "advanced lipid" panel pre-ApoB. ApoB now does the same job at a lower cost and with cleaner evidence — most preventive cardiologists have moved on from NMR. If your insurance covers NMR but not ApoB, get NMR; otherwise, just get ApoB.
What about genetic testing?
Three are worth considering, none are mandatory:
- APOE genotype — Alzheimer\'s risk. APOE4 heterozygotes have ~2–3× risk; homozygotes ~10–12×. Actionable in that it intensifies the case for cardiovascular and metabolic discipline.
- HFE — Hemochromatosis. Worth testing if family history of iron overload or persistently elevated ferritin.
- 9p21 — Coronary artery disease risk variant. Moderate effect, useful if family history of premature CAD.
Full polygenic risk scores (Genomic Health, 23andMe Health+) are interesting but rarely change clinical action. Skip for now.
What about imaging?
One imaging test is worth flagging here: the coronary artery calcium (CAC) score. It is a low-dose chest CT that quantifies calcified plaque in the coronary arteries. Cost: $100–$400 cash-pay. A CAC score of 0 in an adult 40+ is reassuring; a CAC >100 is a strong call-to-action regardless of what your cholesterol panel says. Recommended for adults 40+ with any cardiovascular risk factors.
A practical annual cadence.
- Every year: Lipid panel, ApoB, HbA1c, fasting glucose, fasting insulin, CBC, CMP, TSH, hs-CRP, ferritin, vitamin D, B12.
- Every 2–3 years: Hormones (testosterone, SHBG, estradiol, DHEA-S, IGF-1), omega-3 index, magnesium.
- Once in life: Lp(a), APOE genotype.
- Every 5 years after 40: Coronary artery calcium (CAC) score. Sooner if symptomatic or family history.
Interpret your results
This is a general guide assembled from peer-reviewed literature, the 2018 / 2026 AHA/ACC cholesterol guidelines, Peter Attia\'s Outlive, Andrew Huberman\'s lab-test newsletters, and standard preventive cardiology practice. Not a substitute for working with a clinician who can interpret these in your specific context.