Biomarker library

Compares arachidonic acid (AA) to EPA. A lower ratio generally reflects a less inflammatory omega balance.

Alpha-linolenic acid, the plant omega-3 in flax, chia, and walnuts, measured as an amount in blood. One of the two essential fatty acids, read alongside linoleic acid, EPA, and DHA.

A computed ratio of atherogenic ApoB particles to protective ApoA1. Higher values point to a less favorable lipid particle mix.

The main protein on HDL particles. It helps reverse cholesterol transport and is often read alongside ApoB.

Counts the atherogenic lipoprotein particles that can enter artery walls. Many clinicians treat it as the primary lipid risk marker.

An omega-6 fatty acid that feeds inflammatory pathways. Useful context when looking at your overall fatty-acid balance.

A long-chain omega-3 fatty acid important for cell membranes, brain, and heart. Often reported with EPA in an omega panel.

An intermediate omega-3 fatty acid between EPA and DHA. It shows up on detailed fatty-acid panels and supports the same pathways.

A long-chain omega-3 fatty acid linked to triglyceride lowering and a calmer inflammatory tone. A core piece of the omega-3 index.

Compares EPA to arachidonic acid. The inverse of AA/EPA, so a higher ratio generally reflects a more favorable omega balance.

Cholesterol carried on HDL particles, often called “good” cholesterol. Higher is usually better, but particle measures add context.

The number of HDL particles in circulation. Particle count can refine risk beyond HDL cholesterol alone.

Average size of HDL particles. Larger HDL is often viewed as more efficient at reverse cholesterol transport.

Count of larger HDL particles. These are the subclass most associated with protective HDL function.

Count of large VLDL particles, which carry triglycerides. Higher counts often track with insulin resistance.

Cholesterol carried on LDL particles. Still widely used, though ApoB and LDL-P better reflect particle burden.

The number of LDL particles. More particles generally mean more opportunity for arterial plaque buildup.

Average LDL particle size. Smaller, denser LDL is more strongly linked with atherogenic risk patterns.

The lab's letter for the size mix of your LDL particles. Pattern A is mostly large and buoyant; Pattern B is mostly small and dense.

The main dietary omega-6 fatty acid. Levels help complete a fatty-acid profile alongside EPA, DHA, and AA.

A genetically driven lipoprotein that raises lifelong cardiovascular risk. Diet and most lifestyle changes barely move it.

How fast the Lp-PLA2 enzyme works. It tracks inflammation in the artery wall and moves less with unrelated illness than hs-CRP.

How much Lp-PLA2 enzyme is in your blood. A different reading from Lp-PLA2 Activity, which measures how fast the enzyme works.

Count of medium-sized VLDL particles. Part of advanced lipoprotein panels used to characterize triglyceride-rich lipoproteins.

The share of your blood fatty acids that are monounsaturated, mainly oleic acid from foods like olive oil and avocados. Blood levels do not always track how much of those you eat.

Total cholesterol minus HDL. A computed catch-all for atherogenic cholesterol that includes LDL, VLDL, and remnants.

Plasma measure of long-chain omega-3 fatty acids. A blood-based snapshot of recent omega-3 status.

EPA plus DHA as a percent of red-blood-cell fatty acids. A durable marker of omega-3 status tied to heart outcomes.

Total omega-3 fatty acids from an omega panel. A summary view of your omega-3 pool.

Balance of omega-3 to omega-6 fatty acids. Higher omega-3 relative to omega-6 is generally preferred.

Plasma measure of omega-6 fatty acids. Useful next to omega-3 levels when judging fatty-acid balance.

Total omega-6 fatty acids from an omega panel. Context for AA, linoleic acid, and omega-3 ratios.

Omega-6 divided by omega-3. A lower ratio usually means a more omega-3-forward fatty-acid mix.

LDL that has been modified by oxidative stress. Higher levels are associated with greater atherosclerotic activity.

Mass-based oxidized LDL assay (LabCorp). Another way to quantify oxidized LDL burden.

A computed atherogenic fraction left after subtracting HDL and LDL from total cholesterol. Reflects triglyceride-rich remnant particles.

A Hemo-computed ApoB figure that weights particle risk. Built from ApoB and related lipid inputs you already have.

The share of your blood fatty acids that are saturated. Higher levels tend to travel with higher LDL and higher heart-disease risk.

Count of smaller HDL particles. Complements large HDL-P when reading an advanced HDL subclass panel.

Count of small LDL particles, which penetrate artery walls more readily. Often elevated with insulin resistance.

Count of small VLDL particles. Part of advanced lipoprotein sizing used in cardiometabolic panels.

Triglycerides divided by HDL cholesterol. A simple computed proxy often used when screening for insulin resistance.

Total cholesterol divided by HDL. An older risk ratio still used as a quick atherogenic snapshot.

All cholesterol in the blood combined. A starting point that needs HDL, LDL, ApoB, or non-HDL to be useful.

The share of your blood fatty acids that are industrial trans fats. Even a small amount raises LDL and is tied to higher heart-disease risk.

Blood fats that rise with sugar, alcohol, and insulin resistance. High levels feed remnant and VLDL risk.

Unsaturated fats compared with saturated fats in your blood. A higher ratio means more of the fats that tend to lower LDL relative to saturated fat.

Cholesterol carried on VLDL particles. Tracks closely with triglycerides and remnant burden.

Average VLDL particle size from an advanced lipoprotein panel. Helps characterize triglyceride-rich particles.

Blood glucose two hours after a standard oral glucose load. Shows how well you clear sugar after a challenge.

A fat-derived hormone that supports insulin sensitivity. Lower levels often show up with metabolic syndrome.

A calculated electrolyte balance used on basic metabolic panels. Helps flag acid-base disturbances.

Released when the pancreas makes insulin. Reflects your own insulin production better than injected insulin can.

Total calcium in blood, including bound and free forms. Tied to bone, nerve, and parathyroid function.

Mostly bicarbonate in blood. Part of electrolyte and acid-base assessment on a metabolic panel.

A major blood electrolyte that helps maintain fluid and acid-base balance.

Creatine kinase, an enzyme released when muscle is stressed or damaged. Can rise after hard training or injury.

Insulin level after fasting. An early signal of insulin resistance, often before glucose climbs.

Blood sugar, usually fasting on lab panels. The front-line marker for dysglycemia and diabetes risk.

Average blood glucose over roughly three months, measured via glycated hemoglobin.

A computed insulin-resistance index from fasting glucose and fasting insulin. Higher means more resistance.

A satiety hormone from fat tissue. High levels with ongoing hunger can signal leptin resistance.

NMR-derived insulin resistance score from lipoprotein particle patterns. A particle-based metabolic risk index.

Hormone that regulates blood calcium and bone turnover. Interpreted with calcium, vitamin D, and kidney function.

A key electrolyte for heart rhythm and muscle function. Small shifts matter clinically.

Albumin plus globulins in blood. A broad nutrition and liver/kidney context marker.

The main blood electrolyte controlling fluid balance. Abnormal levels need clinical context.

A breakdown product of purines. High levels relate to gout risk and often travel with metabolic syndrome.

The active hormone form of vitamin D (1,25-dihydroxy). Reflects kidney activation more than stores.

Pituitary hormone that tells the adrenals to make cortisol. Read with cortisol when checking the HPA axis.

A marker of ovarian reserve. Used in fertility workups and to roughly gauge remaining egg supply.

Testosterone that is free or loosely bound and available to tissues. A middle ground between total and free T.

Morning blood cortisol, when levels should peak. Used to screen adrenal cortisol production.

Evening blood cortisol, when levels should be lower. Helps assess diurnal cortisol rhythm.

A stable adrenal androgen precursor. Used for adrenal androgen status and some aging panels.

A potent androgen made from testosterone. Relevant to hair, prostate, and androgen activity.

The primary estrogen in circulation. Important for bone, mood, cycle health, and male hormone balance.

Unbound estradiol available to tissues. A finer read than total estradiol alone.

Unbound testosterone measured by equilibrium dialysis, the reference method for free T.

Unbound testosterone by a direct immunoassay. Convenient, though less precise than dialysis methods.

Pituitary hormone that drives ovarian follicles and sperm production. Central to fertility and menopause panels.

Downstream marker of growth hormone activity. Used for GH status, recovery, and some longevity panels.

Pituitary hormone that triggers ovulation and supports testosterone production. Paired with FSH in hormone workups.

Hormone of the luteal phase and early pregnancy. Also used in hormone therapy monitoring.

Pituitary hormone for lactation that can suppress sex hormones when elevated. Checked with low libido or cycle issues.

Prostate-specific antigen. Used in prostate screening and monitoring; not a sex hormone itself.

The unbound fraction of PSA. The free/total PSA ratio helps refine prostate risk interpretation.

Afternoon saliva cortisol from a diurnal adrenal panel. Tracks the daytime decline in free cortisol.

Nighttime saliva cortisol. Should be low; elevation can flag a flattened cortisol rhythm.

Saliva cortisol 30 minutes after waking. Part of the cortisol awakening response.

Saliva cortisol 60 minutes after waking. Extends the awakening-response curve.

Saliva cortisol at waking. The starting point for a four-point adrenal saliva panel.

Summed or AUC-style total from a multi-point saliva cortisol panel. A single number for daily cortisol output.

Afternoon saliva cortisone. Cortisone tracks cortisol metabolism alongside free cortisol.

Nighttime saliva cortisone from a diurnal adrenal panel.

Saliva cortisone 30 minutes after waking, paired with the cortisol awakening response.

Saliva cortisone 60 minutes after waking on an adrenal saliva panel.

Waking saliva cortisone. Read with waking cortisol for cortisol–cortisone balance.

Total cortisone across a multi-point saliva panel. Complements total saliva cortisol.

Protein that binds sex hormones and controls how much is free. Shapes free testosterone and estrogen levels.

All testosterone in blood, bound and free. The standard starting androgen marker.

Unbound triiodothyronine, the active thyroid hormone available to tissues.

Unbound thyroxine circulating in blood. The main thyroid hormone the gland releases.

An inactive T3 isomer. Can rise when the body downshifts T4-to-T3 conversion under stress or illness.

Antibodies against thyroglobulin. A marker used when screening for autoimmune thyroid disease.

Antibodies against thyroid peroxidase. The most common marker for Hashimoto-type autoimmunity.

All T3 in blood, bound and free. Less specific than free T3 but still used on full thyroid panels.

All T4 in blood, bound and free. Often paired with free T4 and TSH.

Thyroid-stimulating hormone from the pituitary. The usual first-line screen for thyroid status.

Albumin divided by globulin. A simple ratio used when reading liver and protein status.

The main blood protein made by the liver. Reflects synthetic function, nutrition, and fluid balance.

Alkaline phosphatase, an enzyme from liver and bone. Rises with bile-flow problems or bone turnover.

A liver enzyme that rises when liver cells are irritated or injured. One of the core hepatic markers.

A liver and muscle enzyme. Interpreted with ALT to sort hepatic injury from other sources.

Conjugated bilirubin processed by the liver. Elevated when bile flow or conjugation is impaired.

All bilirubin in blood. High levels can show as jaundice and point to liver or hemolysis issues.

A computed fibrosis index from age, AST, ALT, and platelets. Screens for advanced liver fibrosis risk.

A bile-duct enzyme sensitive to alcohol and enzyme-inducing drugs. Helps confirm a hepatic source of ALP elevation.

Blood proteins other than albumin, including many immune proteins. Read with albumin and the A/G ratio.

Lactate dehydrogenase, a nonspecific enzyme from many tissues. Context from other labs matters a lot.

Albumin leaking into urine. An early sign of kidney filter damage, especially with diabetes or hypertension.

Bilirubin on a urinalysis. A normal result is negative; a positive points toward the liver or bile ducts rather than the kidneys.

A urinalysis screen for blood in the urine. It reacts to red cells as well as free hemoglobin and muscle myoglobin.

Blood urea nitrogen, a waste product cleared by the kidneys. Rises with reduced kidney function or dehydration.

BUN divided by creatinine. Helps sort dehydration and prerenal states from intrinsic kidney disease.

A muscle-metabolism waste product cleared by the kidneys. The usual building block for eGFR.

Creatinine in urine, often used to normalize other urine analytes like albumin.

A filtration marker less tied to muscle mass than creatinine. Useful when creatinine-based eGFR is uncertain.

Estimated glomerular filtration rate. The standard summary of how well the kidneys are filtering.

Race-adjusted eGFR reported by some older equations. Many labs are moving away from race-based reporting.

eGFR calculated from cystatin C. Often more reliable when muscle mass skews creatinine.

eGFR using the non–African American coefficient from older race-based equations.

Glucose that has spilled into the urine. Healthy kidneys reabsorb nearly all of it, so a normal result is negative.

Ketones in the urine, made when the body burns fat for fuel. Common with fasting or low-carb eating; a problem mainly alongside high blood glucose.

An enzyme from white blood cells, used on a urinalysis to spot inflammation in the urinary tract. A normal result is negative.

A urinalysis screen for bacteria that convert nitrate in urine into nitrite. A positive points toward a urinary infection; a negative does not rule one out.

How acidic or alkaline the urine is. It shifts with diet and hydration, and it is not the same as blood pH.

Blood phosphate, regulated by kidneys, parathyroid hormone, and vitamin D. Important in chronic kidney disease.

Protein on a urinalysis. Healthy kidneys hold most protein back, so a normal result is negative or trace.

How concentrated the urine is compared with water. Low usually means you drank a lot of fluid; high usually means dehydration.

The full waste molecule from protein breakdown. Labs outside the US often report this instead of BUN, and the number runs higher because BUN counts only the nitrogen.

Urine albumin divided by urine creatinine. The preferred screen for albuminuria and early kidney damage.

A bilirubin breakdown product that normally appears in urine in small amounts. Higher or absent results are a rough screen for liver or bile-flow changes.

The percent of blood volume made up of red cells. Moves with hydration, anemia, and altitude.

The oxygen-carrying protein in red cells. Primary marker for anemia and oxygen-delivery capacity.

Average hemoglobin per red cell. Helps classify anemia alongside MCV and MCHC.

Average hemoglobin concentration inside red cells. Low values can flag hypochromic anemias.

Average red-cell size. High in B12/folate deficiency; low in iron deficiency and thalassemia traits.

Average platelet size. Younger platelets are larger, so MPV adds context to platelet count.

Number of platelets available for clotting. Low or high counts need clinical follow-up.

Number of red blood cells. Interpreted with hemoglobin, hematocrit, and red-cell indices.

Variation in red-cell size. Higher RDW often appears when anemia is developing or mixed.

RDW reported as a standard deviation in femtoliters. Another way to express red-cell size variation.

Percent of white cells that are basophils. These cells participate in allergic and inflammatory responses.

Absolute basophil count. More reliable than the percentage alone when WBC is abnormal.

Percent of white cells that are eosinophils. Often rise with allergies, asthma, or parasites.

Absolute eosinophil count. Preferred over percent when interpreting eosinophilia.

Percent of early neutrophil-line cells in circulation. Can rise with infection or inflammation.

Absolute immature granulocyte count. A sharper signal than the percentage alone.

Antibody class concentrated at mucosal surfaces. Low or high levels can reflect immune dysregulation.

Antibody class tied to allergy and parasitic responses. Often ordered for atopic workups.

The main circulating antibody class for long-term immunity. Used in immune-deficiency panels.

Early-response antibody class. Changes can mark acute infection or immune disorders.

Percent of white cells that are lymphocytes (T, B, and NK cells). Context for viral illness and immunity.

Absolute lymphocyte count. More informative than percent when total WBC is off.

Percent of white cells that are monocytes. These cells clean up debris and help coordinate inflammation.

Absolute monocyte count. Used when a differential looks unusual or chronic inflammation is suspected.

Percent of white cells that are neutrophils. The first responders to bacterial infection.

Absolute neutrophil count. Critical for infection risk when low (neutropenia).

Total white blood cell count. A broad screen for infection, inflammation, and marrow activity.

C-reactive protein, an acute-phase reactant from the liver. Rises quickly with inflammation or infection.

Erythrocyte sedimentation rate. An older, nonspecific inflammation marker that still has clinical uses.

Iron-storage protein that also rises as an acute-phase reactant. Low usually means low iron; high needs context.

Clotting protein that also climbs with inflammation. Bridges coagulation and inflammatory risk.

A stress-response cytokine linked to inflammation, aging biology, and cardiometabolic risk research.

High-sensitivity CRP tuned for low-grade vascular inflammation. Used in cardiovascular risk assessment.

Interleukin-6, a signaling cytokine that drives much of the acute-phase response.

Neutrophils divided by lymphocytes. A simple computed gauge of systemic inflammatory tone.

Tumor necrosis factor-alpha, a potent inflammatory cytokine. Elevated in many chronic inflammatory states.

Essential trace mineral for enzymes and iron handling. Both low and high levels can cause problems.

Blood folate status. Needed for DNA synthesis and to keep homocysteine in check.

Amino acid that rises when B12, folate, or B6 pathways run short. Also tracked for vascular risk.

Serum iodine related to thyroid hormone production. Interpreting it needs dietary and thyroid context.

Magnesium inside red cells. Often preferred over serum when looking for tissue magnesium status.

Magnesium in serum. Convenient, but can look normal even when cellular stores are low.

Rises when vitamin B12 is functionally low. A more sensitive B12 status marker than B12 alone.

Trace mineral used in antioxidant and thyroid enzymes. Status affects glutathione peroxidase activity.

Iron circulating in blood at the moment of the draw. Varies through the day and with recent intake.

Total iron-binding capacity, mostly a reflection of transferrin. Rises when iron stores are low.

Serum iron as a percent of TIBC. A core number for iron deficiency or overload patterns.

Unsaturated iron-binding capacity. The open binding sites left on transferrin.

Retinol status. Important for vision, immunity, and epithelial health; excess can be toxic.

Cobalamin level in blood. Critical for nerves and red-cell production; serum level is only part of the story.

Riboflavin status from a serum or plasma assay. Supports energy metabolism enzymes.

Whole-blood riboflavin measure. A longer-window view of B2 status than serum alone.

Pyridoxine status. Needed for amino-acid metabolism and for clearing homocysteine.

Ascorbic acid level. A water-soluble antioxidant; serum levels reflect recent intake.

25-hydroxy vitamin D, the standard store marker. Used to judge vitamin D sufficiency.

The main circulating form of vitamin E. An antioxidant that protects cell membranes.

A dietary vitamin E form more common in food than in many supplements. Complements alpha-tocopherol.

Essential mineral for immunity, wound healing, and hormone activity. Low levels are relatively common.