LONGEVITY & HEALTHSPAN
The Best Blood Tests for Longevity (UK 2026)
Most people don't get a blood test until something goes wrong. By then, decades of silent damage — arterial plaque, insulin resistance, chronic inflammation — have already accumulated. Longevity medicine flips this: instead of waiting for disease, you track the biomarkers that predict disease 10–20 years before symptoms appear.
This guide covers the 15 blood biomarkers with the strongest evidence for predicting biological age and all-cause mortality — drawn from the PhenoAge algorithm, the GrimAge epigenetic clock, and the UK Biobank cohort studies that followed 500,000 British adults. Not a vague list of “important health markers” — these are the specific biomarkers that research has shown predict how long you'll live.
What is biological age — and can a blood test measure it?
Your biological age is how old your body actually is at a cellular level, independent of how many birthdays you've had. Two 40-year-olds can have vastly different biological ages — one might have the cardiovascular system of a 30-year-old while the other has the metabolic profile of a 55-year-old.
The concept went from fringe to mainstream when researchers at Yale discovered that a specific combination of blood biomarkers could predict 10-year mortality risk with over 90% accuracy. Their 2018 study in PLOS Medicine validated on the US NHANES cohort of over 11,000 adults showed that “phenotypic age” predicted all-cause mortality even in apparently healthy, disease-free people. In other words, your blood already knows things your GP doesn't.
A 2023 study in Communications Biology confirmed this using machine learning on 25 circulating blood biomarkers, achieving an 11% improvement in mortality prediction over the original PhenoAge model. The critical finding: routine blood markers you can get from any UKAS-accredited lab in the UK contain more information about your biological age than your GP practice typically extracts from them.
This matters because biological age is modifiable. Unlike your chronological age, which advances at one year per year no matter what, your biological age responds to exercise, nutrition, sleep, and stress management. The blood tests in this guide give you a measurable baseline — and a way to track whether your lifestyle is actually working. For a deeper dive into how biological age testing works — including PhenoAge, GrimAge, epigenetic clocks, and what the NHS Health Check misses — see our complete guide to biological age blood testing.
PhenoAge and GrimAge: the algorithms behind biological age testing
Two algorithms dominate the biological age research. Understanding them helps you know which blood tests actually matter — and which are just noise.
PhenoAge (Levine et al., 2018)
Developed by Morgan Levine at Yale using data from 11,432 participants in the NHANES III study. The algorithm uses just 9 blood biomarkers plus chronological age to calculate phenotypic age:
- Albumin
- Creatinine
- Glucose
- C-reactive protein (CRP)
- Lymphocyte percentage
- Mean red cell volume (MCV)
- Red cell distribution width (RDW)
- Alkaline phosphatase (ALP)
- White blood cell count
Every one of these is available in a standard UK blood panel. If your PhenoAge is lower than your chronological age, you're ageing slower than average. If it's higher, your body is ageing faster — and intervention is warranted.
GrimAge (Lu et al., 2019)
GrimAge is an epigenetic clock — it analyses DNA methylation patterns rather than blood chemistry directly. But what makes it relevant here is that it was trained on blood-based protein markers, including smoking-related proteins and inflammatory markers like cystatin C and PAI-1.
A 2021 study in The Journals of Gerontology found GrimAge outperformed all other epigenetic clocks in predicting mortality, walking speed, frailty, and polypharmacy. Each standard deviation increase in GrimAge acceleration was associated with an 81% increase in mortality hazard.
While you need a specialised epigenetic test to calculate GrimAge directly (such as TruDiagnostic's TruAge), the blood biomarkers it was trained on are accessible through standard blood testing. Tracking these markers gives you actionable data even without the epigenetic layer.
The practical takeaway: you don't need a £400 epigenetic test to get started. A comprehensive blood panel covering the biomarkers below gives you most of the clinically actionable information — at a fraction of the cost and with faster turnaround.
Inflammation markers — the root cause of ageing
Chronic low-grade inflammation — sometimes called “inflammaging” — is now considered the central driver of age-related disease. It's not the inflammation you feel (a sprained ankle, a sore throat). It's a silent, persistent immune activation that damages blood vessels, promotes insulin resistance, and accelerates cellular ageing.
The iAge study published in Nature Medicine developed an inflammatory ageing clock using blood markers and found it predicted cardiovascular disease risk, frailty, and multi-morbidity independently of chronological age. Inflammation is the single most modifiable driver of biological ageing.
hs-CRP (High-Sensitivity C-Reactive Protein) →
WHAT IT MEASURES
Systemic inflammation produced by the liver in response to inflammatory cytokines. Unlike standard CRP (which measures acute inflammation), hs-CRP detects the low-grade chronic inflammation that drives ageing.
OPTIMAL RANGE
Below 1.0 mg/L is low risk. Between 1.0 and 3.0 is moderate. Above 3.0 mg/L indicates high cardiovascular risk and accelerated biological ageing (excluding acute infection or injury).
WHY IT PREDICTS LONGEVITY
hs-CRP is one of the 9 biomarkers in the PhenoAge algorithm. The JUPITER trial showed that reducing hs-CRP independently reduced cardiovascular events. It's also one of the strongest predictors of frailty in later life. Every 1 mg/L increase is associated with a measurable increase in all-cause mortality risk.
Homocysteine →
WHAT IT MEASURES
An amino acid produced during methionine metabolism. Elevated levels damage blood vessel walls, promote clot formation, and are linked to cognitive decline. It's influenced by B12, folate, and B6 status.
OPTIMAL RANGE
Below 10 µmol/L is optimal. Above 15 µmol/L is associated with increased cardiovascular and neurodegenerative risk. Above 12 is worth investigating even if your GP calls it 'normal'.
WHY IT PREDICTS LONGEVITY
Elevated homocysteine is an independent risk factor for stroke, coronary artery disease, and dementia. A meta-analysis in the BMJ found that each 5 µmol/L increase in homocysteine raised ischaemic heart disease risk by approximately 32%. Critically, it's modifiable — B vitamins (particularly methylfolate and methylcobalamin) can reduce levels within weeks.
Metabolic health — insulin resistance ages you faster than anything
Insulin resistance is arguably the single biggest accelerator of biological ageing. It precedes type 2 diabetes by 10–15 years, but it also independently drives cardiovascular disease, fatty liver, hormonal disruption, and neurodegeneration. The problem? Most UK adults with insulin resistance don't know they have it. Standard NHS checks test HbA1c, which only flags a problem once you're already pre-diabetic. The biomarkers below catch it years earlier.
HbA1c (Glycated Haemoglobin) →
WHAT IT MEASURES
Your average blood sugar over the past 2-3 months. Unlike a fasting glucose snapshot, HbA1c reflects your metabolic control day and night, after meals and during sleep.
OPTIMAL RANGE
Below 36 mmol/mol (5.4%) is optimal for longevity. 37-41 mmol/mol is pre-diabetic — the NHS won't treat it, but your ageing is already accelerating. Above 42 is diagnostic for type 2 diabetes.
WHY IT PREDICTS LONGEVITY
HbA1c directly measures glycation — the process of sugar molecules bonding to proteins and damaging tissues. This is the same mechanism behind Advanced Glycation End Products (AGEs) that drive skin ageing, arterial stiffness, and kidney damage. The PhenoAge algorithm includes glucose for this reason. Every 1 mmol/mol increase in HbA1c above 31 is associated with increased cardiovascular mortality.
Fasting insulin
WHAT IT MEASURES
The amount of insulin your pancreas needs to produce to keep blood sugar in the normal range. High fasting insulin with normal glucose means your body is working overtime to compensate — this is insulin resistance, the silent precursor to metabolic disease.
OPTIMAL RANGE
Below 6 mU/L is optimal. 6–12 is borderline. Above 12 mU/L indicates significant insulin resistance even if HbA1c is still normal. HOMA-IR (calculated from fasting insulin and glucose) below 1.0 is ideal.
WHY IT PREDICTS LONGEVITY
A BMJ meta-analysis found that insulin resistance (measured by HOMA-IR) was an independent predictor of cardiovascular disease and all-cause mortality. Fasting insulin catches metabolic decline 5–15 years before HbA1c becomes abnormal. This is the single most underutilised test in UK preventive medicine — your GP almost certainly doesn't check it.
Cardiovascular biomarkers — the leading killer
Cardiovascular disease kills more people in the UK than any other cause — roughly 170,000 deaths per year according to the British Heart Foundation. The standard NHS lipid panel (total cholesterol, LDL, HDL, triglycerides) is better than nothing, but it misses the biomarkers that actually predict heart attacks with the most precision.
ApoB (Apolipoprotein B) →
WHAT IT MEASURES
The number of atherogenic lipoprotein particles circulating in your blood. Each LDL, VLDL, IDL, and Lp(a) particle carries exactly one ApoB molecule, making it a direct count of every particle capable of penetrating your arterial walls and forming plaque.
OPTIMAL RANGE
Below 0.7 g/L is optimal for longevity. Below 0.9 g/L is the standard 'desirable' range. Above 1.0 g/L represents significantly elevated cardiovascular risk regardless of your LDL cholesterol number.
WHY IT PREDICTS LONGEVITY
ApoB is a better predictor of cardiovascular events than LDL cholesterol. A Lancet meta-analysis of 21 studies found that ApoB had the strongest association with cardiovascular risk of any lipid marker. This is because LDL cholesterol measures the cholesterol mass carried by LDL particles — but it's the particles themselves that damage arteries. Two people with identical LDL cholesterol can have very different ApoB levels and very different risk profiles.
Lp(a) — Lipoprotein(a) →
WHAT IT MEASURES
A genetically determined variant of LDL that is 6-8 times more atherogenic per particle than regular LDL. It also carries pro-thrombotic and pro-inflammatory properties. Your Lp(a) level is almost entirely determined by genetics and doesn't respond to diet, exercise, or most medications.
OPTIMAL RANGE
Below 75 nmol/L (or 30 mg/dL) is low risk. Above 125 nmol/L is high risk and warrants aggressive management of all other modifiable risk factors. One in five people have elevated Lp(a) — most have no idea.
WHY IT PREDICTS LONGEVITY
The European Atherosclerosis Society issued a consensus statement recommending that every adult be tested for Lp(a) at least once in their lifetime. If elevated, you can't lower it directly (novel antisense therapies are in late-stage trials), but you can manage your total risk by optimising everything else — ApoB, blood pressure, HbA1c, inflammation. You need to know your number.
Omega-3 Index →
WHAT IT MEASURES
The percentage of EPA and DHA (the two most important omega-3 fatty acids) in your red blood cell membranes. This reflects your omega-3 status over the past 3 months — far more accurate than a snapshot blood level.
OPTIMAL RANGE
Above 8% is the target for cardiovascular protection. Most UK adults are between 4-6%. Below 4% is associated with significantly higher risk of sudden cardiac death.
WHY IT PREDICTS LONGEVITY
A study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that an Omega-3 Index above 8% was associated with a 35% lower risk of cardiovascular mortality compared to below 4%. Omega-3s are anti-inflammatory, improve endothelial function, reduce triglycerides, and lower heart rate variability. This is one of the most actionable longevity biomarkers — it responds directly to supplementation with quality fish oil (2-4g EPA+DHA daily).
Hormones — the decline you can slow down
Hormonal decline is often treated as an inevitable part of ageing. It isn't. While total testosterone drops approximately 1-2% per year after 30 and DHEA-S declines more steeply, the rate of decline varies enormously between individuals and is modifiable through resistance training, sleep optimisation, body composition, and stress management.
Testosterone (Total) →
WHAT IT MEASURES
The primary anabolic hormone in men. Controls muscle protein synthesis, bone density, red blood cell production, mood, energy, and cognitive function. In women, testosterone (at much lower levels) plays an important role in bone health, libido, and muscle maintenance.
OPTIMAL RANGE
Men: 15-25 nmol/L is optimal for health and performance. Below 12 nmol/L is clinically low and warrants investigation. Below 8 nmol/L has strong associations with increased mortality, metabolic syndrome, and cardiovascular disease.
WHY IT PREDICTS LONGEVITY
A landmark study in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism followed 11,606 men for up to 20 years and found that low testosterone was associated with a 35% increase in all-cause mortality. Testosterone isn't just about muscle — it's protective against metabolic syndrome, cognitive decline, and cardiovascular disease. Tracking your trend over time is more important than any single reading.
DHEA-S (Dehydroepiandrosterone Sulphate) →
WHAT IT MEASURES
The most abundant steroid hormone in the human body and a precursor to both testosterone and oestrogen. Produced by the adrenal glands, it peaks in your mid-20s and declines steadily — by age 70, levels are typically 10-20% of their peak.
OPTIMAL RANGE
Age-dependent, but higher is generally better for longevity. Men aged 30-40: 5-12 µmol/L. The rate of decline matters more than any single value. A sharp drop suggests adrenal stress or accelerated ageing.
WHY IT PREDICTS LONGEVITY
DHEA-S has been called the 'longevity hormone' in research literature. Low DHEA-S is independently associated with increased cardiovascular mortality, impaired immune function, and frailty. Unlike testosterone, DHEA-S provides a window into adrenal function and systemic stress. It's one of the most consistent biomarkers of biological age across studies.
Cortisol →
WHAT IT MEASURES
Your primary stress hormone. Acute cortisol spikes are normal and healthy — they help you wake up, respond to threats, and exercise. Chronically elevated cortisol destroys muscle, impairs immune function, promotes visceral fat storage, and disrupts sleep.
OPTIMAL RANGE
Morning cortisol (before 10am): 166-507 nmol/L. The pattern matters: cortisol should be highest in the morning and decline throughout the day. A flat cortisol curve (high at night, not high enough in the morning) is a marker of chronic stress and accelerated ageing.
WHY IT PREDICTS LONGEVITY
Chronic cortisol elevation promotes telomere shortening — a direct mechanism of cellular ageing. It also suppresses testosterone production, raises blood sugar, and promotes visceral fat accumulation. Tracking cortisol alongside DHEA-S gives you a picture of your stress-recovery balance (cortisol:DHEA-S ratio).
Organ function — liver and kidneys as early warning systems
Your liver and kidneys process almost everything that enters your body. When they start showing strain — even subtle, within-range elevation — it's an early signal that something systemic is shifting. Both are included in PhenoAge because they're remarkably sensitive indicators of overall biological ageing.
ALT (Alanine Aminotransferase) →
WHAT IT MEASURES
A liver enzyme that leaks into the blood when liver cells are damaged. It's the most specific marker for liver cell injury and the first to rise when your liver is under stress — from alcohol, medications, excess visceral fat, or metabolic dysfunction.
OPTIMAL RANGE
Below 25 IU/L is optimal for longevity (lower than the standard lab 'normal' range of up to 40-50). Men: consistently above 30 warrants investigation even if your GP says it's fine. Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) affects 1 in 3 UK adults and often presents with ALT in the 'normal' range.
WHY IT PREDICTS LONGEVITY
ALT is one of the biomarkers included in GrimAge-related blood markers. Elevated ALT — even within the standard reference range — is associated with increased all-cause mortality. A UK Biobank analysis of over 325,000 participants found that ALT above 25 IU/L was associated with progressively higher risk of liver-related mortality and cardiovascular events.
Creatinine & eGFR (Estimated Glomerular Filtration Rate) →
WHAT IT MEASURES
Creatinine is a waste product from muscle metabolism filtered by the kidneys. eGFR calculates how efficiently your kidneys are filtering blood, adjusted for age, sex, and body size. Together, they give the most accessible picture of kidney function available from a standard blood test.
OPTIMAL RANGE
eGFR above 90 mL/min/1.73m² is normal. 60-89 is stage 2 CKD (usually asymptomatic but important to monitor). Below 60 is stage 3 and warrants clinical investigation. Creatinine: 60-110 µmol/L for men, but context matters — very muscular men naturally run higher.
WHY IT PREDICTS LONGEVITY
Creatinine is one of the 9 PhenoAge biomarkers. Kidney function declines naturally with age, but the rate varies enormously. Early detection of declining eGFR allows intervention (blood pressure management, reducing NSAID use, hydration) before irreversible damage occurs. According to the NHS, chronic kidney disease affects around 1 in 10 UK adults — most are undiagnosed.
Nutritional markers — the foundations
Nutritional deficiencies don't just make you feel tired. They accelerate ageing at the molecular level. Vitamin D regulates over 1,000 genes. B12 and folate are essential for DNA methylation — the very mechanism epigenetic clocks measure. Magnesium is required for over 300 enzymatic reactions. These aren't optional supplements; they're the raw materials your body needs to maintain and repair itself.
Vitamin D →
WHAT IT MEASURES
A steroid hormone (not actually a vitamin) that regulates calcium absorption, immune function, gene expression, and cell differentiation. Synthesised in the skin from UVB exposure — which is essentially absent in the UK from October to March.
OPTIMAL RANGE
75-150 nmol/L (30-60 ng/mL) is optimal. Below 50 is insufficient. Below 25 is deficient. The NHS threshold of 25 nmol/L is a floor to prevent rickets, not a target for optimal health. Public Health England estimates 1 in 5 UK adults are deficient.
WHY IT PREDICTS LONGEVITY
A meta-analysis of 52 trials published in the BMJ found that vitamin D supplementation reduced all-cause mortality by approximately 7%. Vitamin D deficiency is associated with increased risk of cardiovascular disease, autoimmune conditions, depression, cognitive decline, and cancer. Given the UK's latitude, supplementation (2,000-4,000 IU daily) is effectively mandatory from October to April.
Vitamin B12 →
WHAT IT MEASURES
Essential for nerve function, red blood cell formation, and DNA synthesis. B12 is a cofactor in the methylation cycle — the biochemical process that repairs DNA, regulates gene expression, and detoxifies homocysteine.
OPTIMAL RANGE
Above 500 pg/mL (370 pmol/L) is optimal. Below 300 pg/mL is suboptimal and may cause neurological symptoms even when your GP says it's 'normal'. Below 200 is clinically deficient. Vegetarians and vegans are at particular risk.
WHY IT PREDICTS LONGEVITY
B12 deficiency directly impairs the methylation cycle, leading to elevated homocysteine and impaired DNA repair. Both of these accelerate biological ageing. Low B12 is also strongly associated with cognitive decline and dementia — the Framingham Heart Study found that participants with B12 in the lowest tertile had double the rate of brain atrophy over 5 years.
Magnesium →
WHAT IT MEASURES
Required for over 300 enzymatic reactions including energy production, DNA repair, protein synthesis, and nervous system regulation. Serum magnesium is an imperfect measure (only 1% of body magnesium is in the blood), but it's the most accessible screening tool.
OPTIMAL RANGE
0.85-1.10 mmol/L is optimal. Below 0.75 is deficient. The standard range (0.7-1.0 mmol/L) includes levels associated with increased disease risk. An estimated 10-30% of the UK population is magnesium deficient, largely due to depleted soil minerals and processed food intake.
WHY IT PREDICTS LONGEVITY
Low magnesium is associated with chronic inflammation, insulin resistance, hypertension, and arrhythmias — all of which accelerate biological ageing. A meta-analysis in BMC Medicine found that higher dietary magnesium intake was associated with significantly lower risk of type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and all-cause mortality. Supplementation with magnesium glycinate or threonate (200-400mg daily) is well-tolerated.
The complete longevity blood panel — all 15 biomarkers
Here's the full panel in one place. These are the biomarkers with the strongest evidence for predicting biological age, all-cause mortality, and healthspan — all available from a single blood draw.
| BIOMARKER | CATEGORY | OPTIMAL RANGE | USED IN |
|---|---|---|---|
| hs-CRP | Inflammation | < 1.0 mg/L | PhenoAge |
| Homocysteine | Inflammation | < 10 µmol/L | CVD risk |
| HbA1c | Metabolic | < 36 mmol/mol | PhenoAge |
| Fasting insulin | Metabolic | < 6 mU/L | HOMA-IR |
| ApoB | Cardiovascular | < 0.7 g/L | CVD risk |
| Lp(a) | Cardiovascular | < 75 nmol/L | Genetic risk |
| Omega-3 Index | Cardiovascular | > 8% | CVD risk |
| Testosterone | Hormonal | 15–25 nmol/L (men) | Mortality risk |
| DHEA-S | Hormonal | Age-dependent | Biological age |
| Cortisol | Hormonal | AM: 166–507 nmol/L | Stress/ageing |
| ALT | Organ | < 25 IU/L | GrimAge |
| Creatinine / eGFR | Organ | eGFR > 90 | PhenoAge |
| Vitamin D | Nutritional | 75–150 nmol/L | Mortality risk |
| Vitamin B12 | Nutritional | > 500 pg/mL | Methylation |
| Magnesium | Nutritional | 0.85–1.10 mmol/L | Mortality risk |
How often should you test for longevity?
Longevity blood testing isn't a one-off event. It's a tracking system. The value comes from seeing your trends over time, not from any single snapshot. Here's a practical schedule:
Baseline (your starting point)
Get all 15 biomarkers tested. This is your reference point for everything that follows. Ideally, do this fasted (10-12 hours, water is fine) and before 10am for accurate cortisol and testosterone readings. Test Lp(a) once — it's genetic and doesn't change significantly.
Every 6 months (your regular check-in)
Retest the core panel: hs-CRP, HbA1c, ApoB, testosterone, DHEA-S, vitamin D, ALT, eGFR. This is enough to catch trends and measure whether your interventions are working. Six months is the minimum interval for meaningful change in most biomarkers.
Annually (comprehensive review)
Full 15-biomarker panel including fasting insulin, homocysteine, omega-3 index, cortisol, and magnesium. Compare against your baseline and previous annual results. This is your longevity MOT.
If you make a significant lifestyle change — start resistance training, begin a new supplement protocol, change your diet — wait 3 months and then retest the relevant markers. This gives your body enough time to respond and your biomarkers enough time to shift.
What to do with your results
Getting the blood test is the easy part. Knowing what to do with the results is where most people stall. Here's a practical framework:
Identify red flags first
Anything outside the optimal ranges above warrants attention. If any result is flagged by the lab as abnormal, discuss with your GP. Critical findings (very low eGFR, very high HbA1c, extremely low testosterone) require medical investigation, not lifestyle tweaks.
Prioritise the biggest levers
Don't try to optimise everything at once. Focus on the 2-3 biomarkers furthest from optimal. Insulin resistance, chronic inflammation, and vitamin D deficiency affect more downstream markers than anything else — fixing these often improves several other results simultaneously.
Retest in 3-6 months
Measure the impact of your interventions. If the numbers moved in the right direction, continue. If they didn't, adjust. This iterative process is the foundation of data-driven health — and it's exactly what a single annual GP blood test can't give you.
The goal isn't perfection — it's trajectory. As long as your biomarkers are trending in the right direction over months and years, your biological age is moving in the right direction too.
Frequently asked questions
Can a blood test really tell you your biological age?
Yes — with caveats. Blood-based algorithms like PhenoAge use 9 biomarkers to estimate phenotypic age, which predicts 10-year mortality with over 90% accuracy. This isn't a precise “you are biologically 34.7 years old” number — it's a validated risk score. The trend over time (are you getting biologically younger or older?) is more valuable than any single calculation. For the most precise measurement, epigenetic clocks like GrimAge analyse DNA methylation patterns and are currently the gold standard.
Which blood test is the single best predictor of longevity?
No single biomarker is definitive, but if forced to choose: hs-CRP and HbA1c together capture the two most powerful predictors — chronic inflammation and metabolic dysfunction. ApoB is the strongest single predictor of cardiovascular events specifically. The real power comes from tracking multiple biomarkers together, which is why algorithms like PhenoAge use 9 markers in combination.
How much does a longevity blood test cost in the UK?
A comprehensive panel covering the biomarkers in this guide costs between £100 and £250 from most private providers, depending on how many markers are included. Our Performance panel (£149) covers the core longevity biomarkers. Some specialist markers (fasting insulin, omega-3 index) may require an additional panel. An NHS GP will test basic bloods for free but typically won't include ApoB, Lp(a), DHEA-S, homocysteine, or fasting insulin without clinical indication.
Do I need an epigenetic age test as well?
Not necessarily. Epigenetic tests (like TruAge or GlycanAge) provide a precise biological age calculation based on DNA methylation. They cost £250–£500 and take 4–6 weeks. A comprehensive blood panel gives you clinically actionable data on the same underlying pathways — inflammation, metabolic function, hormonal status — at a lower cost with faster results. Consider an epigenetic test as a complement, not a replacement, once you've established your blood biomarker baselines.
I'm in my 20s — is it too early to test?
No. Your 20s are arguably the best time to establish baselines. The UK Biobank and Framingham studies show that the biomarkers predicting disease at 60 are often abnormal by 35–40. A baseline at 25–30 gives you the earliest possible trend data. Think of it as your biological starting position — the earlier you know it, the more time you have to modify it.
What lifestyle changes have the biggest impact on biological age?
Based on the interventional research: resistance training (improves insulin sensitivity, testosterone, body composition), sleep optimisation (7–9 hours, reduces cortisol and inflammation), a Mediterranean-style diet rich in omega-3s and fibre (lowers hs-CRP, ApoB, HbA1c), and targeted supplementation for documented deficiencies (vitamin D, magnesium, omega-3). Smoking cessation has the single largest effect on GrimAge specifically.
Start tracking your biological age
Our Performance panel (£149) covers the core longevity biomarkers — inflammation, metabolic, cardiovascular, hormonal, and nutritional markers. Home finger-prick kit, results in 5 days.
Medical disclaimer: This content is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Optimal ranges cited in this guide are based on published research and may differ from standard NHS reference ranges, which are designed to detect disease rather than optimise health. Do not make changes to medication, supplementation, or treatment plans based solely on information in this article — consult your GP or a qualified healthcare professional. All Helvy blood tests are processed by UKAS-accredited NHS laboratories and reviewed by a GMC-registered doctor.
Last updated: April 2026 · By Helvy · Medically reviewed by a GMC-registered doctor