I’ve been looking at standardizing my periodic blood tests, and one of my goals was to evaluate the groupings of different blood tests, and combining those with the a’la Carte listings of blood tests, so that I can track my key blood biomarkers, but also regularly do both the Levine and Bortz biological age calculations (more for general interest than anything).
Here are the results from my research, the tests that are most cost effective and pricing for everything. Just thought I’d share in case others are looking at doing something like this regularly.
Note: While you may purchase through GoodLabs, you also have to choose your lab to get the tests done at - so depending on if you prefer Quest or LabCorp the prices will be slightly different and groupings may be a little different.
Levine Phenotypic Age (PhenoAge) Biomarkers
Developed by Morgan Levine et al. (2018), the PhenoAge algorithm calculates biological age by assessing chronological age alongside nine circulating blood analytes. These markers capture overlapping pathways of metabolic, renal, and immune senescence. They can be fully acquired through a Complete Blood Count (CBC) with differential, a Comprehensive Metabolic Panel (CMP), and a high-sensitivity C-Reactive Protein (hs-CRP) test.
| Biomarker | Standard Lab Panel | Physiological Axis |
|---|---|---|
| Albumin | CMP | Liver synthetic function, systemic inflammation |
| Creatinine | CMP | Renal clearance, muscle mass proxy |
| Fasting Glucose | CMP | Metabolic baseline, insulin sensitivity |
| Alkaline Phosphatase (ALP) | CMP | Hepatic and skeletal tissue turnover |
| hs-CRP | Standalone / Add-on | Chronic low-grade inflammation (inflammaging) |
| Lymphocyte Percentage | CBC Differential | Immune senescence |
| Mean Corpuscular Volume (MCV) | CBC | Erythrocyte size, bone marrow health |
| Red Cell Distribution Width (RDW) | CBC | Erythrocyte variability, systemic oxidative stress |
| White Blood Cell Count (WBC) | CBC | Systemic immune response |
Bortz Biological Age Biomarkers
Developed by Jordan Bortz et al. (2023), this Elastic-Net derived Cox proportional-hazards model was trained on 306,116 participants from the UK Biobank dataset. The academic model stably selected 25 circulating biomarkers that collectively outperform the PhenoAge model in predicting all-cause mortality.
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Practical clinical implementations (such as the consumer algorithm by Humanity) compute the Bortz Blood Age utilizing chronological age and the following 21 standardized analytes:
Renal & Hepatic Function
- Cystatin C (Operates as the dominant vector in the model; superior GFR estimator independent of muscle mass)
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- Creatinine
- Urea (Blood Urea Nitrogen / BUN)
- Albumin
- Alanine Aminotransferase (ALT)
- Gamma-Glutamyl Transferase (GGT)
- Alkaline Phosphatase (ALP)
Metabolic & Endocrine
- Fasting Glucose
- Hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c)
- Sex Hormone-Binding Globulin (SHBG)
Hematology & Oxygen Transport
- Red Cell Distribution Width (RDW)
- Mean Corpuscular Volume (MCV)
- Mean Corpuscular Hemoglobin (MCH)
- Red Blood Cell Count (RBC)
Immune & Inflammatory
- hs-CRP
- Neutrophils (Absolute)
- Monocytes (Absolute)
- Lymphocytes (%)
Cardiovascular & Vitamins
- Total Cholesterol
- Apolipoprotein A1 (ApoA1)
- Vitamin D [25(OH)D]
Pricing from Goodlabs.com
Levine Phenotypic Age Procurement
The Levine algorithm requires a highly constrained 9-analyte input. The most cost-effective procurement requires only three standard test orders. GoodLabs operates on a wholesale a la carte model, severely undercutting the direct-to-consumer retail pricing of Quest Health.
| Test Grouping | Biomarkers Covered | Quest Health Price | GoodLabs Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Complete Blood Count (CBC) | WBC, Lymphocyte %, MCV, RDW | $29.00 | $4.00 |
| Comprehensive Metabolic Panel (CMP) | Albumin, ALP, Creatinine, Glucose | $49.00 | $5.00 |
| hs-CRP | hs-CRP | $65.00 | $9.00 |
| Total Cost | Full Levine Panel | $143.00 | $18.00 |
The baseline testing required for the Levine algorithm (CBC with differential, CMP, and hs-CRP) passively captures 14 of the 21 variables required for the Bortz biological age model.
Specifically, the CMP supplies Albumin, ALP, Creatinine, Fasting Glucose, Urea (BUN), and ALT. The CBC with differential supplies RDW, MCV, MCH, RBC, Neutrophils, Monocytes, and Lymphocytes. The standalone hs-CRP test supplies the final shared variable.
To complete the Bortz 21-analyte array, seven biomarkers remain. Through GoodLabs, these require the addition of five distinct assays and one panel.
| Additional GoodLabs Test | Target Bortz Biomarker(s) | GoodLabs Price |
|---|---|---|
| Cystatin C | Cystatin C | $30.00 |
| Apolipoprotein A-1 (ApoA1) | ApoA1 | $19.00 |
| Vitamin D, 25-Hydroxy | Vitamin D [25(OH)D] | $14.00 |
| Sex Hormone Binding Globulin (SHBG) | SHBG | $8.00 |
| Lipid Panel | Total Cholesterol | $8.00 |
| Gamma Glutamyl Transferase (GGT) | GGT | $6.00 |
| Hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) | HbA1c | $4.00 |
| Total Additional Cost | $89.00 |
Total Procurement Cost for Both Algorithms
- Levine Base (CBC, CMP, hs-CRP): $18.00
- Bortz Additions: $89.00
- Combined Total: $107.00
Acquiring the standard Lipid Panel to satisfy the Bortz Total Cholesterol requirement will concurrently yield LDL-C, permitting direct assessment against Medicine 3.0 atherosclerosis regression targets of maintaining LDL below 60 mg/dL. The inclusion of SHBG serves a dual purpose: fulfilling the Bortz algorithmic requirement while allowing for independent tracking of metabolic and endocrine function, though the Bortz model’s linear penalty for elevated SHBG may conflict with adapted physiological states.
