Learn more about the preventive screenings and longevity labs that help men catch risk early and make smarter decisions about long-term health.
Most men do not avoid health care because they are careless or unconcerned. They avoid it because nothing feels urgent. Life is busy. Work, family, and responsibilities pile up. As long as things feel “fine,” it is easy to assume there will be time later.
The problem is that many of the most serious threats to long-term health develop quietly. Cardiovascular risk, metabolic dysfunction, hormonal decline, and loss of muscle or resilience often progress without obvious symptoms. By the time something feels wrong, the easiest opportunities to intervene may already be gone.
In this guide, IMA Senior Fellow Dr. Kristina Carman outlines the preventive screenings and longevity-focused labs that help men identify risk earlier, establish meaningful baselines, and make informed decisions about how they age. The goal is not to chase perfection, but to replace guesswork with clarity.
📖 What’s in the Guide?
This guide walks through the preventive screenings and advanced lab markers that help men detect risk early, understand how their bodies are aging, and make informed decisions about long-term health and performance.
- 🩺 Foundational Screenings All Men Should Prioritize
- 🧪 Functional & Longevity-Oriented Lab Testing
- ⚖️ Hormones, Inflammation, and Metabolic Health
- 📈 Longevity Metrics & Performance Biomarkers
1. 🩺 Foundational Screenings All Men Should Prioritize
Preventive care begins with routine screenings that establish baselines and catch problems before they become harder to address.
Starting in your 20s–30s
- Annual physical exam with vitals, history review, and lifestyle counseling
- Tracking weight, blood pressure, pulse, BMI, and waist circumference
- Fasting blood panel (annually or every 2–3 years in early adulthood):
- CBC and CMP
- Lipid panel
- hs-CRP
- HbA1c
- STI screening as appropriate
- Skin checks for men with high sun exposure or family history of melanoma
In your 40s and beyond (or earlier with risk factors)
- PSA testing with individualized discussion around timing and risk
- EKG or advanced cardiac testing for baseline assessment or symptoms
- Colonoscopy beginning at age 45, or earlier with family history
- FIT testing as a yearly, non-invasive alternative
- DEXA scans for men at risk of bone loss, including those with low testosterone or chronic steroid use
2. 🧪 Functional & Longevity-Oriented Lab Testing
Functional labs aim to detect dysfunction before disease is diagnosed. They provide insight into how the body is regulating energy, detoxification, and recovery over time.
Liver, kidney, and detox markers
- ALT, AST, ALP, GGT
- BUN, creatinine, eGFR
- Bilirubin and ferritin
- Serum B12/MMA and folate
Micronutrients and mitochondrial support
- RBC magnesium
- Vitamin D (25-OH)
- Zinc and selenium
- Omega-3 index
- CoQ10 and carnitine
- Organic Acids Testing when deeper mitochondrial insight is needed
Environmental and toxin load
- Heavy metals such as mercury, lead, and cadmium
- Environmental toxin panels including glyphosate and mold mycotoxins
- 8-OHdG as a marker of oxidative DNA damage
3. ⚖️ Hormones, Inflammation, and Metabolic Health
A recurring theme in the guide is balance, not simply whether a number falls inside a reference range.
Hormones and androgens
- Total and free testosterone
- DHEA-S
- Estradiol (E2)
- LH and FSH
- SHBG
- Prolactin
Inflammation and cardiovascular risk
- hs-CRP
- Homocysteine
- ApoB
- Lp(a)
- Oxidized LDL
- Fibrinogen
Metabolic and insulin sensitivity
- Fasting glucose and insulin
- HbA1c
- HOMA-IR
- Adiponectin and leptin
- Uric acid
- Triglyceride-to-HDL ratio
4. 📈 Longevity Metrics & Performance Biomarkers
These metrics are increasingly central to healthspan optimization, not just athletic performance.
Heart Rate Variability (HRV)
- Reflects autonomic nervous system flexibility and stress resilience
- Lower HRV is associated with poorer recovery and higher cardiovascular risk
- Can be tracked with wearables such as WHOOP, Oura Ring, or Apple Watch
VO₂ max
- Measures maximal oxygen uptake during intense exercise
- One of the strongest predictors of all-cause mortality
- Assessed through lab-based testing or wearable estimates
Muscle mass and strength
- Sarcopenia is a major predictor of morbidity
- Tracked with DEXA body composition scans, grip strength, and functional movement tests
Biological age vs. chronological age
- Epigenetic age testing evaluates DNA methylation patterns
- Aging rate can improve with changes in diet, exercise, sleep, stress, and fasting
Prevention Is the Foundation of Vitality
Preventive screenings and functional labs give men something most health care never does: time. Time to see risk before it becomes disease, time to course-correct before decline accelerates, and time to make decisions with intention rather than urgency.
Used consistently, these tools help men understand how their bodies respond to stress, age over time, and adapt to daily inputs like nutrition, movement, sleep, and recovery. They support earlier, simpler interventions and a more proactive relationship with long-term health.
The full guide expands on each of these areas with practical screening guidance, longevity-focused lab insight, and performance markers that can be tracked over time.
📥 Download the Full Guide + explore our other men’s health tools below:
- Understanding Men’s Reproductive Health: Sperm Health, Testing, Nutrition, and Natural Support
- Understanding Men’s Sexual Health: A Whole-Body Approach to Sexual Function
- Men’s Mental Health: Root Causes, Resilience & Real-World Tools
- Men’s Hormone Health: Testosterone, Balance & the Path to Lasting Vitality
- Prostate Health: Smarter Screening, Root Causes & Lifestyle Strategies That Work
- Men’s Heart Health: Markers, Myths & Strategies That Matter
- 5 Top Men’s Health Issues Guys Need to Know
