Short answer: A longevity blood test is a broad panel of standard markers – typically lipids including ApoB and Lp(a), blood sugar (HbA1c), inflammation (hs-CRP), vitamins, iron, thyroid and hormones – sold directly to consumers. It can be worth it for a one-off baseline (Lp(a) once in adulthood is guideline-backed) or to track something specific with your doctor. It's less useful as a frequent, very large panel: the more tests you run, the more likely a harmless out-of-range result, and no blood test can diagnose you on its own. In Europe, panels cost from about €120 to €600.
Key facts
- It's a marketing label, not a test type – the markers themselves are standard lab tests.
- Advanced panels in our October 2026 check: from €119 (Germany, Mein Labor) to €601 (Denmark, NurseCare).
- Guidelines recommend measuring Lp(a) at least once in every adult's lifetime (2025 ESC/EAS update).
- With 16 tests, each with a 5% chance of falling outside the reference range, there's a 56% chance at least one healthy result is flagged.
- In England, the NHS Health Check offers a free cholesterol (and possibly blood sugar) test every 5 years to people aged 40–74 without existing heart disease or diabetes.
This is general information to help you decide whether to buy a test. It isn't medical advice. If you have symptoms or a known condition, see your doctor – private panels aren't a substitute for medical care.
A label, not a test
You won't find "longevity blood test" in a lab's catalogue. It's a consumer category: a broad panel of established lab markers, bundled and marketed to people who feel well but want to understand their risks. The individual tests – cholesterol, HbA1c, vitamin D and so on – are the same ones doctors order every day. What's different is the selection, the packaging and who decides to run them: you, rather than a clinician responding to a clinical question.
The category has grown fast. In the US, Function Health's membership offers "160+ lab tests a year", tested twice a year, for $365 in the first year. In Europe the market is fragmented by country – UK home-kit brands, Nordic lab networks and German self-pay labs – and prices vary widely (see our 14-country price comparison).
What's usually in the panel
There's no standard, but most longevity panels cover the same areas. These are the eight markers we explain in detail:
| Area | Markers | Why it's included |
|---|---|---|
| Heart and lipids | ApoB, Lp(a), lipid profile | Particle count and an inherited risk factor that a standard cholesterol test misses |
| Blood sugar | HbA1c | Average blood sugar over 2–3 months |
| Inflammation | hs-CRP | Low-grade inflammation, used alongside other risk factors |
| Nutrients | Vitamin D, ferritin | Common deficiencies, especially in northern European winters |
| Hormones | TSH, testosterone | Thyroid function and sex hormones |
Larger panels add a full blood count, kidney and liver function, electrolytes, B12 and folate, and sometimes markers with weaker evidence for healthy people – or "biological age" scores. Be cautious with the latter: they're estimates built from other markers, not established clinical measurements.
What it costs
From our October 2026 price check, advanced or longevity-style panels cost:
- Germany: from €119 (Mein Labor, Berlin – a cardiovascular risk package, plus a €5 draw fee) to €199 for a Lykon home kit.
- UK: £159 (≈ €188) for Medichecks' Advanced Well Man test (44 biomarkers).
- Nordics: 1,995 NOK (≈ €187) at Blodsjekk in Norway; €320 for SYNLAB's healthy-ageing package in Finland; 3,995 SEK (≈ €357) for Werlabs' Plus check in Sweden; 4,495 kr (≈ €601) for NurseCare's Komplet panel in Copenhagen.
- US: $365 a year for Function Health's twice-yearly testing; $399 for Quest's Elite Health Profile.
Panels differ a lot in content, so compare marker lists – and whether ApoB and Lp(a) are actually included – rather than headline prices.
The case for testing
- A baseline. Knowing your numbers while you're well gives you and your doctor something to compare against later.
- Markers you wouldn't routinely get. Lp(a) is the clearest example. It's largely inherited, so one measurement goes a long way – and the 2025 ESC/EAS guideline update says it should be measured at least once in every adult's lifetime.
- Tracking a change. If you and your doctor are working on something specific – blood sugar, vitamin D, lipids – a targeted re-test can show whether it's working.
- Access. In some countries, it's hard to get tests without a clinical reason. Self-pay testing fills that gap.
The case for caution
More tests, more false alarms
Lab reference ranges are usually set to cover 95% of healthy people, which means about 5% of healthy results fall outside them by design. Run lots of tests and the odds add up: with 16 tests, there's a 56% chance that at least one result is flagged in a perfectly healthy person (Bennett Institute, Oxford). A 100-marker panel makes a "something's abnormal" result almost certain.
Worry, follow-ups and unnecessary treatment
A December 2024 analysis in The BMJ, led by researchers at the University of Copenhagen, warned that direct-to-consumer "wellness" tests can lead to over-testing, distress about clinically unimportant results, unnecessary follow-up appointments and supplements – and that regulation hasn't kept pace with how these tests are sold (BMJ Group).
It can't diagnose you
A blood panel measures risk markers at one moment. It doesn't diagnose a condition, and results inside the range don't rule one out. A doctor interprets results in the context of your history, symptoms and other tests.
You may already be entitled to it free
In England, the NHS Health Check offers people aged 40–74 without existing heart disease, diabetes or stroke a free check every five years, including a cholesterol test and possibly a blood sugar test (NHS). Other countries have their own routes – ask your GP before paying.
Is it worth it for you? A checklist
- Why do you want it? A specific question ("what's my Lp(a)?") is a better reason than general reassurance.
- Could your doctor order it free? If there's a clinical reason, start there.
- Does the panel include the markers you care about? Check ApoB and Lp(a) by name.
- What's the total cost? Add draw, visit, shipping and doctor-review fees.
- Who explains the results? A doctor's comment helps, but plan to share anything flagged with your own doctor.
- How will you act on it? If no result would change what you do, the test may not be worth buying.
Our view
A one-off baseline that includes Lp(a), lipids with ApoB, HbA1c and a few nutrient markers – bought at a fair price and discussed with a doctor – is a reasonable thing for a healthy adult to do. Frequent, very large panels are harder to justify for most people: they cost more, flag more harmless results and rarely change what you'd do. Our price guide shows where the individual markers are cheapest.
Frequently asked questions
What does a longevity blood test include?
There's no standard. Most panels include a lipid profile (often with ApoB and Lp(a)), HbA1c, an inflammation marker such as hs-CRP, vitamin D, ferritin or iron studies, thyroid (TSH) and sex hormones, plus kidney, liver and blood-count markers. Check the full marker list before you buy.
Can a longevity blood test tell me how long I'll live?
No. It measures risk markers at one moment in time. It can't predict lifespan, and it can't diagnose a disease on its own. "Biological age" scores built from blood markers are estimates, not established clinical measurements.
Is a longevity blood test worth it if I'm healthy?
It can be, for a one-off baseline – especially markers you wouldn't routinely get, like Lp(a). Frequent large panels are harder to justify: they cost more, and the chance of a harmless but worrying out-of-range result rises with every extra test.
How often should I take one?
There's no evidence-based schedule for healthy people. Many people do one baseline and then re-test only specific markers they're working on, at intervals their doctor suggests. See our guide to how often to test.
Should I share the results with my doctor?
Yes, especially anything flagged. Bring the full report with the lab's reference ranges. Don't start, stop or change medication or supplements based on a home test without medical advice.
Sources
- What is an NHS Health Check? – NHS.
- OpenPathology: issues with reference ranges – part 2 – Bennett Institute for Applied Data Science, University of Oxford, October 2019.
- Concerns over potential harms of tests advertised directly to consumers (Gram E et al., The BMJ, doi:10.1136/bmj-2024-080460) – BMJ Group, 5 Dec 2024.
- ESC/EAS guidelines: Lp(a) and cardiovascular disease (summary of the 2025 focused update) – Roche Diagnostics.
- 2025 Focused Update of the 2019 ESC/EAS Guidelines for the management of dyslipidaemias – European Society of Cardiology, 29 Aug 2025.
- Function Health pricing – Function Health, checked 12 Oct 2026.
Prices come from our European price check unless stated otherwise. Links were checked on the date shown at the top of this page.