Why we test 96 markers and what each one has to do to earn its place.
Biomarkers · 5 min read · Reviewed by the Stem Health clinical team
If you've spent any time looking at proactive health clinics lately, you've probably noticed something. The numbers keep getting bigger.
One longevity startup advertises 50 biomarkers. Another counters with 120. The unspoken promise is that more means better. More careful. More thorough. More worth what you're paying for.
At Stem Health, we look at it differently.
Our Annual Health Assessment includes 96 biomarkers. That number was not chosen because it sounds impressive. It was built deliberately by our clinical team, with each marker included because it helps us understand something meaningful about your health and what to do next.
For us, the point is not to test everything. The point is to test what matters, interpret it properly, and use it to guide better care.
Every candidate marker had to answer five questions our clinical team asks before anything makes the list.
1. Does it tell us something that matters? A biomarker is only useful if it helps us understand something that could meaningfully affect your health.
That might include your risk for cardiovascular disease, metabolic changes, inflammation, hormone imbalance, organ function, cognitive decline, or other patterns that are easier to address when caught early. Some markers may look interesting on paper, but if they do not help us understand something that matters in real life, they do not belong on the panel.
2. Can we act on it? A result is only helpful if it leads somewhere. If something comes back outside the expected range, there needs to be a clear next step: reviewing medication, ordering a follow-up test, referring to a specialist, changing a nutrition or movement plan, or monitoring the result more closely over time. A result without an action path can create confusion or anxiety. We want your results to bring clarity.
3. Is it clinically validated? Some biomarkers are exciting in research but not ready for routine clinical care. The science may still be developing, reference ranges may vary between labs, testing methods may not yet be standardized, or there may not be enough population data to interpret the result responsibly.
At Stem Health, we wait until a marker can be interpreted clearly and consistently in a clinical setting, so that two physicians looking at the same result arrive at the same interpretation. That is our threshold. It matters because your health assessment should be grounded in evidence, not trends.
4. Can we interpret it in context? A number on its own rarely tells the whole story. To understand what a result means, we need to look at it in context: your age, sex, health history, family history, medications, symptoms, lifestyle, and previous results. The same number can mean different things for different people, which is why interpretation matters just as much as testing.
5. Is it adding something new? Not every additional marker adds additional value. Some biomarkers overlap with others. Some are more expensive without being more informative. Some look impressive on a report but do not change the clinical picture. We do not include markers just to make the panel look bigger. Each one has to carry its weight.
The 96 biomarkers in our Annual Health Assessment are grouped across five major areas of health. Together, they help us understand how your body is functioning now, where risks may be developing, and what needs attention over time.
Metabolic health. Your metabolic markers help us understand how your body handles energy, blood sugar, and insulin. This includes markers such as insulin, glucose, HbA1c, HOMA-IR, and lipid sub-fractions. These results can help detect early changes related to insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes risk, metabolic syndrome, and changes in cholesterol metabolism, often before they show up as a diagnosis.
Cardiovascular health. Your cardiovascular markers help us understand what is happening in your blood vessels and overall heart health. This includes markers such as ApoB, Lp(a), a full lipid panel, and hs-CRP. These results help us look beyond standard cholesterol numbers and build a more complete picture of cardiovascular risk, inflammation, and vascular health.
Inflammation. Inflammation is one of the body's important warning signals. Some inflammation is normal and necessary, but low-grade, ongoing inflammation can be connected to many long-term health concerns. Markers such as hs-CRP, homocysteine, and ferritin can help us identify signs of inflammation when interpreted alongside your health history, symptoms, and other results.
Hormonal health. Hormones influence energy, sleep, mood, libido, metabolism, stress response, and recovery. Our panel looks at a more complete hormonal picture, including thyroid markers such as free T3, free T4, thyroid antibodies, and TSH, as well as sex hormones interpreted relative to your age, sex, and life stage. Where appropriate, cortisol may also be assessed to better understand stress response patterns rather than relying on a single snapshot.
Organ function. Your organ function markers help us understand how key systems in your body are performing. This includes liver enzymes, kidney function markers such as creatinine and cystatin C, complete blood count, and iron studies. These markers can help identify early signs of strain, deficiency, inflammation, or changes in how your body is functioning day to day.
Just as important as what we include is what we leave out. We do not test for the sake of testing. We do not include markers simply because they sound advanced or look impressive on a panel sheet.
Some markers are left out because the evidence is still too early. Some are redundant with other, better-validated markers. And some do not have a clear next step if the result comes back abnormal.
It is easy to add more tests. It is harder to be disciplined about which ones actually help. This is one of the most important parts of building a responsible panel.
A strong assessment is not about having the longest list. It is about knowing what each result means, how it connects to the rest of your health, and what to do with it.
A well-built panel should not stay frozen forever. As evidence evolves, clinical practice evolves too. Some markers that were not commonly used years ago are now considered important. Others may become more useful as research, testing standards, and treatment pathways improve.
Your own panel may also change over time. Your Health Story, family history, symptoms, goals, and previous results all help guide what gets added, repeated, or monitored more closely in future assessments.
The 96 biomarkers are the foundation. What we build from there is personalized to you.
The right question to ask about any biomarker panel is not only, "How many tests are included?" The better question is: what is each marker doing here? What happens after the result comes back? Who is interpreting it? And what can we do with that information to help you move forward?
At Stem Health, we chose 96 biomarkers because each one earned its place. But what matters most is not the number itself. It is the care that happens after the results come in.
Because better testing only matters when it leads to better understanding, clearer next steps, and care that is truly rooted in you.
Care rooted in you.
A new standard of proactive, membership-based primary care. A doctor who knows you, diagnostics that reveal the full picture, and coordinated care that moves your health forward.