The Guide to Blood Biomarkers for Disease Prevention | Episode 50

Ever wonder what secrets your blood holds about your future health? In this episode of The Health Pulse, we explore the powerful world of advanced blood biomarkers—the tools transforming how we prevent disease and personalize wellness. From high-sensitivity CRP and fasting insulin to ApoB and thyroid function markers, you'll learn why “normal” lab results often miss the early warning signs of chronic disease.

We unpack how subtle shifts in your lab values can reveal hidden inflammation, metabolic dysfunction, and cardiovascular risk—even if your doctor says everything looks “fine.” Best of all, with mobile phlebotomy and at-home testing now widely available, staying on top of these markers has never been more convenient.

Tune in and learn how to move beyond generic health advice and use personalized data to take control of your health—before symptoms ever show up.

📞 Need lab work done from the comfort of home? QLM offers fast, reliable mobile phlebotomy services—no clinic visit required.

📅 Book your appointment or learn more at:
👉 Quick Lab Mobile
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Disclaimer: The information provided in this podcast is for informational purposes only and should not be considered medical advice. The content discussed is based on research, expert insights, and reputable sources, but it does not replace professional medical consultation, diagnosis, or treatment. We strive to present accurate and up-to-date information, medical research is constantly evolving. Listeners should always verify details with trusted health organizations, before making any health-related decisions. If you are experiencing a medical emergency, such as severe pain, difficulty breathing, or other urgent symptoms, call your local emergency services immediately. By listening to this podcast, you acknowledge that The Health Pulse and its creators are not responsible for any actions taken based on the content of this episode. Your health and well-being should always be guided by the advice of qualified medical professionals.

Episode Transcript

Nicolette (00:01):
Welcome to the Health Pulse, your go-to source for
quick, actionable insights onhealth, wellness and diagnostics
.
Whether you're looking tooptimize your well-being or stay
informed about the latest inmedical testing, we've got you
covered.
Join us as we break down keyhealth topics in just minutes.
Let's dive in.

Rachel (00:28):
Welcome listener, to another Deep Dive.
Today we're plunging into thisreally fascinating frontier of
blood biomarkers.
It's well.
It's rapidly transforming howwe think about health, about
prevention and our roadmap.
Our guide for this is the 2025Guide to Blood Biomarkers for
Disease Prevention is the 2025Guide to Blood Biomarkers for
Disease Prevention.
Our mission today it's reallyto decode the secret messages

(00:49):
your own blood might be sendingyou know, finding crucial
insights long before symptomseven show up.
Think of it like getting ashortcut, a really powerful one,
to being well-informed andproactive about your own
well-being.

Mark (01:02):
Exactly, and what's so compelling here, I think, is how
these things, these measurablesubstances in your blood, they
actually reflect what'shappening deep inside, you know,
at a cellular level,systemically.
It really is about shiftingfocus.
Shifting focus From beingreactive right yeah, waiting for
problems Towards being trulyproactive about your health.

Rachel (01:20):
Okay, well, let's unpack that a bit.
Most of us, you know.
We're familiar with thetraditional blood tests, the
usual suspects cholesterol,glucose, basic counts, standard
panel, right.
But this guide is saying lookin 2025, maybe that's not always
enough.
So if I'm someone listening andI always get normal results

(01:41):
back, should I still be thinkingabout these advanced markers?
Is there like a hidden dangerin just relying on the basics?

Mark (01:44):
That's a really crucial question.
Traditionally, yeah, bloodtests focused on basics,
foundational stuff, for sure.

Rachel (01:51):
Yeah.

Mark (01:51):
But they can easily miss the early signs of dysfunction.
It's often overlooked.
Many people get told your labsare normal, even when their body
might be sending subtle signals.
You know little signs ofimbalance.

Rachel (02:02):
Ah, okay.
So the core idea here is thatnormal on the lab report it
might just mean average.

Mark (02:09):
Pretty much Average for the population tested.

Rachel (02:12):
But what if average isn't good enough for your
optimal health, for your peakperformance?
Can you maybe give an exampleof how that plays out, why
normal might be misleading.

Mark (02:20):
Absolutely.
Let's take fasting glucose Alevel of, say, 99 milligdl might
be flagged as normal, but whileit could still mean insulin
resistance is already startingyour body's working harder just
to keep that glucose in thenormal range.

Rachel (02:32):
Okay, so the number looks fine, but the effort
behind it isn't.

Mark (02:36):
Exactly, or take TSH.
Thyroid stimulating hormone.
Normal levels might still hidesymptoms like fatigue, weight
gain, things linked to lowcellular thyroid function.
It really brings up thatquestion, doesn't it?
Are we just aiming for averageor are we aiming for our
personal best, our optimal state?

Rachel (02:57):
That is a crucial distinction.
Wow, it sounds like withoutthis deeper insight, we could be
missing some really criticalearly warnings.
So what kind of importantmarkers does the guide say are
often left out?
You know, from the routinepanels?

Mark (03:09):
Precisely, and the guide points this out clearly.
A lot of key markers often justaren't included in standard
insurance-based labs.
We're talking about things likeApoB for heart disease risk
fasting.
Insulin for your metabolicstatus.
Hscrp for low-gradeinflammation.

Rachel (03:24):
These sound important.

Mark (03:25):
They really are.
They're often like the checkengine lights that flick on way
before the engine actuallystarts sputtering, you know.

Rachel (03:30):
Yeah, yeah.
And the guide has this key lineyou can't fix what you don't
measure.
So what kind of like hiddenproblems can these advanced
biomarkers really help usuncover?
Give us that early warning.

Mark (03:42):
Well, these tests can pick up on some incredibly important
things early on Early signs ofautoimmune activation, for
instance, or hidden inflammationthat might be impacting your
energy, your recovery, evenearly stress on your kidneys or
liver, or micronutrientdeficiencies affecting, say,
your mood, your thinking, yourimmunity.
By tracking these subclinicalchanges you can act sooner.

(04:03):
You might avoid unnecessarymeds.
You can really personalize yournutrition, your lifestyle,
optimize performance, longevity.
It's all about being proactive,not reactive.

Rachel (04:13):
Okay, the guide mentions a top 10 list for 2025 for
prevention for peak health.
Yeah, we probably can't coverall 10 in detail right now.

Mark (04:21):
No, probably not.

Rachel (04:22):
But let's maybe unpack a few of the really impactful
ones, the ones offering thatearly detection, those
actionable insights.
First up, hscrp highsensitivity C-reactive protein.
I hear it mentioned a lot.
What makes it so foundationalin this guy?

Mark (04:35):
It's more like this persistent, quiet inflammation,
almost like a low hum in thebody and that low hum, well, it
quietly contributes to thebiggest health challenges out

(04:56):
there Heart disease, autoimmuneissues, cognitive decline, even
cancer.
Ideally you want it less than1.0 milligel and, yes,
absolutely Elevated HSCRP canshow that silent inflammation
even if you feel fine.
And, importantly, it oftenresponds really well to
lifestyle changes diet, stressmanagement, exercise.

Rachel (05:14):
That sounds incredibly important.
Then Foundational health.
What about fasting insulin?

Mark (05:18):
Fasting insulin.
That gives you a very earlysignal of insulin resistance,
often way before your glucoselevels even start to creep up.

Rachel (05:25):
Before glucose, yeah, before glucose.

Mark (05:27):
Yeah, and that's huge, because insulin resistance is a
major driver behind so manychronic diseases.
Yeah, type 2 diabetes, pcosthat's polycystic ovary syndrome
, fatty liver, obesity.

Rachel (05:41):
The ideal range we're looking for is generally around
2 to 6 IUML.
So, if I'm getting this right,it's not just about the glucose
number itself, but how hard yourbody, how much insulin it's
pumping out just to keep thatglucose look, normal, you've got
it.
That's a critical piece forpreventive care OK that's a big
aha moment right there, shiftinggears a bit Cardiovascular
health the guide reallyemphasizes APOB.
Why is APOB better, or maybemore complete, than just looking

(06:04):
at LDL cholesterol?

Mark (06:05):
Good question.
Apob or apolipoprotein B.
It tells you the actual numberof those potentially harmful
lipoprotein particles, thehypogenic ones.
It's generally seen as a betterpredictor of risk than just LDL
cholesterol concentration alone.
Why?

Rachel (06:18):
is that.

Mark (06:18):
Because, well, you could have normal LDL cholesterol, but
if your ApoB is high it meansyou have more of those particles
, the ones that can actually getinto the artery walls and start
causing trouble.
So an ideal range for low risk,usually less than 90 mL of GDL.
It really changes how deeply weshould be assessing heart risk.

Rachel (06:35):
And sticking with vascular health, the guide also
mentions homocysteine.
Sounds a bit technical, but howdoes that marker fit into the
picture?

Mark (06:42):
Yeah, homocysteine.
It might sound obscure, butit's actually a critical
indicator for something calledmethylation efficiency.
Methylation, Uh-huh.
It's essentially how well yourbody processes certain B
vitamins, vitamins that arevital for well countless
processes.
If your homocysteine is high,it's a red flag, Increased risk
for stroke, dementia,cardiovascular disease, and

(07:04):
often it just signals simple Bvitamin deficiencies.

Rachel (07:07):
Things like B12 or folate.

Mark (07:09):
Exactly, which are often relatively easy to correct.
So ideally you want that numberbelow 9-0.

Rachel (07:15):
Okay, and the guide also touches on cystatin C for
kidneys and even newer thingslike zonulin or LPS for gut
health, gut permeability.
Why are these important for thewhole picture?

Mark (07:25):
Right.
So cystatin C.
It's more sensitive for pickingup early kidney stress than the
standard creatinine test,especially useful for older
adults, maybe people onhigh-protein diets.
It just allows for earlierintervention.
Juner is better right Always,and then Zonulin or LPS.
They give us clues about yourgut lining integrity, increased

(07:46):
permeability, what people oftencall leaky gut.
That's a growing area ofconcern.
It's linked to a whole cascadeof issues autoimmune problems,
allergies, chronic inflammationspreading through the body.
Ideal ranges are still beingsort of firmed up for everyone,
but high levels definitelysuggest looking deeper into gut
health.

Rachel (08:02):
It definitely paints a much richer, more detailed
health picture.
It goes way beyond the standardcheckup, doesn't it?

Mark (08:08):
It really does.

Rachel (08:09):
But are there situations maybe, or health concerns,
where even these advancedmarkers might not tell the whole
story?

Mark (08:15):
That's a really thoughtful point.
Yes, absolutely.
While these biomarkers give usincredible insights, powerful
data points, they are still justpieces of the puzzle.
Data points, they are stilljust pieces of the puzzle.
A complete health picturealways, always, needs to
integrate your symptoms, yourlifestyle, genetics, the whole
clinical context.

Rachel (08:33):
So they're a tool, a great tool, but not the only
tool.

Mark (08:40):
Exactly.

Rachel (08:40):
Think of them as a fantastic compass, but you still
need the rest of the map.
Got it Okay?
This all sounds incrediblyvaluable for prevention, for
optimizing health, buttraditionally getting these
advanced tests often involved alot of hassle right Doctors'
referrals, lab visits, waitingaround.

Mark (08:53):
Oh yeah, the logistics could be a pain.

Rachel (08:55):
How has that changed?
According to the guide for 2025, has convenience finally caught
up with the science?

Mark (09:06):
things have really shifted and it's exciting.
The guide points out that, yeah, in 2025, the whole lab
experience is much different.
Services are now makingdiagnostic testing way more
accessible, often directly fromyour home.

Rachel (09:13):
From home.
How does that work?

Mark (09:15):
Well, you can order your own labs in many cases, or use
an order from your provider, andthen a mobile phlebotomist,
someone trained to draw blood,comes right to your home or even
your office.
Yeah, it's about meeting youwhere you are, basically.

Rachel (09:27):
So no more waiting rooms , no trek to the lab, potential
exposure to illness.
Fitting it into your schedule?
That sounds like a monumentalshift, a game changer for busy
people.

Mark (09:37):
It really is Right.
Exactly, it means you can muchmore easily access and track
these advanced markers.
We've been talking aboutfasting insulin, apob, hscrp,
vitamin D.
You can even bundle routinelabs with these more functional
markers, maybe specialty panelstoo, all without that
traditional red tape.
It truly empowers you topersonalize your health plan and

(09:57):
, you know, take charge.

Rachel (09:59):
This whole deep dive into blood biomarkers.
It's been incrediblyilluminating.
Really feels like we'restepping into a new era
Proactive, personalized health.

Mark (10:09):
And if we put it in that broader context, yeah, disease
prevention in 2025 is proactive,it's personal, it's data-driven
.

Rachel (10:15):
Blood biomarkers offer you this powerful window really
into your body's internalbalance, revealing risks,
dysfunctions, that metabolicstress you can optimize your
energy, your mood, hormonebalance, personalize your

(10:46):
nutrition, your lifestyle andultimately prevent chronic
disease, or at least catch itsuper early, when it's most
reversible.

Mark (10:50):
Exactly, and the guide really hammers this home.
The basic treatment is stillearly detection always, and that
starts with knowing yournumbers.
You don't have to wait for yourdoctor to suggest it
necessarily, and you definitelydon't need to rearrange your
whole life just to get testedanymore.
The tools are really availablenow much more accessible.

Rachel (11:06):
So here's a final thought for you to consider If
traditional lab work mostlytells you where you are right
now, how might regularlytracking these advanced
biomarkers empower you toactively write your future
health story, to steer ittowards optimal well-being,
instead of just, you know,reacting when illness finally
shows up?
Something to think about.

Nicolette (11:27):
Thanks for tuning into the Health Pulse.
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Stay informed, stay healthy andwe'll catch you in the next
episode.