Biomarkörer
Measurable indicators of biological age, health span, and metabolic status.
25-Hydroxyvitamin D (Vitamin D Status)
The standard blood test for vitamin D status; correcting deficiency matters for bone health, but large RCTs have not confirmed broader cancer or cardiovascular prevention claims.
Apolipoprotein B (ApoB)
The structural protein on every atherogenic lipoprotein particle, directly counting cardiovascular risk-carrying particles better than LDL cholesterol alone.
Body Composition (Fat Mass, Lean Mass, Visceral Fat)
The muscle-to-fat and fat-distribution profile of the body, where the combination of low muscle mass and high visceral fat (sarcopenic obesity) carries dramatically higher mortality risk than either alone.
Carotid Intima-Media Thickness (IMT)
An ultrasound measurement of carotid artery wall thickness used as a marker of subclinical atherosclerosis, though its added predictive value over standard risk calculators is modest.
Coronary Artery Calcium (CAC) Poäng
A CT scan measurement of calcified coronary plaque that directly images atherosclerosis and meaningfully reclassifies cardiovascular risk beyond standard risk calculators.
DunedinPACE (Pace of Aging Clock)
A DNA methylation measure of the current rate of biological aging, built from 19 organ-system biomarkers tracked longitudinally in the Dunedin birth cohort.
Frailty Index
A overall score counting accumulated health deficits across many domains that predicts mortality more accurately than any single biomarker in the oldest-old.
Gait Speed
A simple timed walking-speed test in older adults that predicts survival about as accurately as detailed clinical risk models combining multiple disease and lifestyle factors.
GlycanAge (IgG Glycosylation Age)
A commercial biological-age test based on antibody sugar-chain patterns reflecting immune inflammatory aging, with a thinner independent evidence base than established epigenetic clocks.
GrimAge (DNAm GrimAge Epigenetic Clock)
A second-generation epigenetic clock trained directly on mortality data that outperforms earlier clocks at predicting death, heart disease, and cancer risk in cohort studies.
Grip Strength
A simple handheld dynamometer test that predicts all-cause mortality and cardiovascular events more strongly than systolic blood pressure in large cohort studies.
HDL Cholesterol (HDL-C)
Cholesterol carried by high-density lipoprotein particles, historically called protective, but pharmaceutical trials raising it have repeatedly failed to reduce cardiovascular events.
HOMA-IR
A calculated index from fasting glucose and insulin that estimates insulin resistance, the metabolic driver behind type 2 diabetes and a core aging-related biomarker.
HbA1c (Glycated Hemoglobin)
A blood test reflecting average glucose exposure over 2-3 months, used to diagnose diabetes and track long-term glycemic control.
Heart Rate Variability (HRV)
The beat-to-beat variation in heart timing reflecting autonomic nervous system balance; lower HRV consistently predicts higher mortality across general and cardiovascular disease populations.
Homocysteine
An amino acid byproduct linked to cardiovascular and cognitive risk in observational studies, but B-vitamin trials lowering it have not reduced heart attacks or strokes.
Horvath Clock (DNA Methylation Age)
The first widely used epigenetic clock estimates biological age from DNA methylation patterns and predicts mortality risk independent of chronological age.
Interleukin-6 (IL-6)
A key inflammaging cytokine whose chronic elevation independently and consistently predicts mortality across multiple large cohorts of older adults.
LDL Cholesterol (LDL-C)
The cholesterol carried by low-density lipoprotein particles, a well-established causal driver of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease.
NAD+ (Blood/Tissue Levels)
A cellular energy coenzyme that declines with age in multiple tissues; NR and NMN reliably raise blood NAD+ levels, but functional or lifespan benefits remain unproven in large human trials.
Omega-3 Index
The percentage of EPA and DHA in red blood cell membranes, a stable biomarker of long-term omega-3 status linked to cardiovascular risk.
PhenoAge (DNAm PhenoAge Epigenetic Clock)
A second-generation epigenetic clock built from nine clinical mortality markers that predicts all-cause mortality, cancer, cardiovascular disease, and Alzheimer's risk in cohort studies.
Resting Heart Rate (RHR)
The number of heartbeats per minute at rest; higher values and rising trends over time both independently predict greater mortality risk across decades of Framingham and related cohort data.
Telomere Length (Leukocyte)
A modest, consistent predictor of mortality across large pooled cohorts, but with an effect size much smaller than established risk factors and no proven intervention to lengthen it.
Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha (TNF-alpha)
A pro-inflammatory cytokine with mortality associations that shift meaningfully by sex and age, dominant in centenarian cohorts but less consistent than IL-6 in younger-old adults.
VO2max (Maximal Oxygen Uptake)
The gold-standard measure of cardiorespiratory fitness; higher VO2max predicts dramatically lower all-cause mortality with no evidence of harm even at extremely high fitness levels.
hs-CRP (High-Sensitivity C-Reactive Protein)
A sensitive blood marker of low-grade systemic inflammation that independently predicts cardiovascular events and all-cause mortality.