Biomarkers are objective and measurable ways of assessing a person’s biological processes. Longevity biomarkers, then, are indicators that give us insight into how well the body is aging at a biological level.
Your age is based on a calendar date, but your longevity biomarkers offer a picture of what’s happening inside your body, beneath the surface of how you look or feel on any given day.
That distinction between chronological and biological age is at the heart of longevity-focused medicine. This idea takes into account why two people born in the same year can have such different biological ages. Factors contributing to this include these individuals’ genetics, lifestyles, stress history, sleep quality, and environmental exposures.
Biomarkers aren’t subjective observations of things like sleep quality and stress levels, though. Rather, they are measurable and trackable.
The distinction between chronological age and biological age sits at the heart of longevity medicine. Two people born in the same year can have meaningfully different biological ages depending on their genetics, lifestyle, stress history, sleep quality, and environmental exposures. Biomarkers make that difference visible and, crucially, trackable.
Some of the most widely studied longevity biomarkers include:
- telomere length, which reflects cellular aging
- fasting insulin and glucose, which indicate metabolic health
- hs-CRP, a marker of systemic inflammation
- DHEA-S, a hormone that tends to decline with age and is associated with immune resilience
- grip strength
- VO2 max
- walking speed
Healthy longevity habits can help you improve these numbers over time.
Although a one-time measurement of these kinds of factors can provide insight, the real wealth of information comes from tracking biomarkers over time. Not only is it encouraging to see things improve over time, but a lack of improvement after making healthy changes can be an indicator to speak to a healthcare professional or longevity-focused practitioner.