The ‘Simple 7’ Biomarkers
Lab technology for preventative wellness
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The ‘Simple 7’ Biomarker Test - Technology for preventative wellness
Seven key indicators can provide crucial insight into a person’s current state of health, as well as their level of risk for developing heart disease, diabetes, cancer, and neurodegenerative diseases, among many other diseases. However, even though these cardiovascular diseases are increasing day by day, and are a leading cause of morbidity (Upadhyay, 2015), unless you already experience symptoms, you can’t test for any of these indicators through regular health care.
Early detection is vital to implement preventative health measures before the onset of disease. By the time you experience symptoms, you may have already developed a chronic disease, or be well on your way to having health issues.
Imagine if you could get tested on these key indicators before you ever experience symptoms, you’d be able to increase your ability to prevent disease altogether.
Marqi Health’s Longevity 360 app based program integrates state-of-the-art preventative health technology to provide personalized support to our participants, and one of these methods is our Longevity ‘Simple 7’ Biomarker Lab Test.
Marqi Health has identified these 7 key factors as an important part of starting and maintaining a longevity lifestyle. We include them in our Longevity 360 program.
Total Cholesterol (HDL Ratio)
This is a key marker of overall cardiovascular health and can help determine your risk of heart disease. There are three types of cholesterol, HDL which is considered “good” cholesterol, LDL which is considered ”bad” cholesterol, and last but not least, VLDL which is a precursor to LDL.
All 3 types of cholesterol occur naturally in our body, but it’s the ratio of the 3 cholesterols that plays an important factor in developing disease. Essentially, we want more of the good cholesterol and less of the bad, and when the ratio of bad cholesterol is greater than that of the good, we are at risk for adverse health implications.
Why is cholesterol important? It helps maintain proper levels of hormones in our bodies; when we have higher levels of bad cholesterol (LDL) it coats our arteries and causes plaque to build up on the walls of our arteries which leads to heart disease. As it worsens, the blood flow to and from our heart can slow down, which increases the risk of heart attack.
Insulin resistance (Triglycerides: HDL Ratio)
Insulin is created naturally through the process of digestion, and as such, it’s vital to our body’s normal operation. When our insulin levels increase or decrease out of the normal range is when we experience adverse, and potentially dangerous health effects.
What’s the most concerning about insulin resistance is that one in three of us have it, but often it does not show any signs or symptoms. The only way to know if you have insulin resistance is to test for it.
Average Blood Sugar (hbA1c) also known as A1C
Just like cholesterol, we all have some amount of sugar in our blood; what’s important is the level of sugar in our blood, as this can indicate whether you’re at risk of developing pre-diabetes or diabetes. Simply put, the higher your A1C level is, the poorer your blood sugar control, and the higher your risk of diabetes (Staff, n.d.).
Body Composition and Visceral Fat (Waist: Heigh Ratio)
Visceral fat is belly fat that’s held within our abdomen that surrounds many vital organs including the stomach, liver, and intestines. While some levels of visceral fat are healthy and act as protection for these internal organs, too much visceral fat is detrimental to our health, and can lead to diabetes, heart disease and stroke (Visceral Fat, n.d.).
Oxidative Stress
Oxidation is a normal and necessary process that takes place in your body. Oxidative stress, on the other hand, occurs when there’s an imbalance between free radical activity and antioxidant activity, which can cause damage to cells and tissues, which can lead to diabetes, heart disease, cancer, and neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s, among others (Dix, 2018).
Inflammation
Our immune system naturally sends out inflammatory cells as a way to attack bacteria or heal damaged cells, but if our body sends out inflammation cells when we don’t actually need them, then we are likely to experience chronic inflammation. This can be an indicator of many diseases such as cancer, heart disease, diabetes, arthritis, and Alzheimer’s disease (Inflammation, n.d.)
Vitamin D
Vitamin D aids in the absorption of calcium during bone formation. It is important to maintain adequate levels of vitamin D in order to support bone health. Vitamin D also has important anti-inflammatory (and other) properties that play a role in maintaining normal muscle, immune, and nervous system functions (Mayo).
Some contributing risk factors can increase your likelihood of experiencing one of the indicators listed (Metabolic Syndrome, n.d.):
· Age
· Genetics
· Family history
· Stress levels
· Sleep Quality
· Poor Diet
· Obesity
· Smoking
· Heavy drinking
· Sedentary lifestyle
While this all may sound scary, and it is, the good news is that by testing the above indicators, we can identify what areas of our health we may need to improve, and we can take preventive measures to transform our health and avoid the onset of disease.
All of the above indicators can be improved and even reversed by making changes to our lifestyle, such as eating healthier, adding more exercise or movement into our daily routine, and reducing or eliminating alcohol and smoking.
By testing these levels twice a year or more, you can take a simple inventory of your body’s internal health, and begin your preventative wellness journey.
The Longevity 360 program was developed to bring longevity to the workplace, with unlimited one-on-one longevity and wellness coaching, and the Simple 7 Biometric testing included in all memberships.
Sources
Home use tests. US Food and Drug Administration; [Accessed November 1, 2022]. Web site. http://www.fda.gov/MedicalDevices/ProductsandMedicalProcedures/InVitroDiagnostics/HomeUseTests/default.htm. Updated June 21, 2022.
Fitzgerald, J. (2017, March 26). Cholesterol ratio: How does it affect your body, and is it important? Retrieved from Medial News Today: https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/316586
Fitzgerald, J. (2017, March 26). Cholesterol ratio: How does it affect your body, and is it important? Retrieved from Medial News Today: https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/316586
Staff, M. C. (n.d.). A1C test. Retrieved from Mayo Clinic: https://www.mayoclinic.org/tests-procedures/a1c-test/about/pac-20384643
Visceral Fat. (n.d.). Retrieved from Cleveland Clinic: https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/24147-visceral-fat#:~:text=How%20much%20visceral%20fat%20is,fat%20range%20will%20be%20too
Dix, M. (2018, September 29). Everything You Should Know About Oxidative Stress. Retrieved from Healthline: https://www.healthline.com/health/oxidative-stress
Inflammation. (n.d.). Retrieved from Cleveland Clinic: https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/symptoms/21660-inflammation
Vitamin D. Mayo Clinic: [Accessed November 1, 2022]. Web site.https://www.mayoclinic.org/drugs-supplements-vitamin-d/art-20363792. Updated February 9, 2021
Metabolic Syndrome. (n.d.). Retrieved from John Hopkins Medicine: https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/conditions-and-diseases/metabolic-syndrome#:~:text=Obesity%20plus%20a%20sedentary%20lifestyle,disease%20and%20type%202%20diabetes.