A biomarker is a measurable signal that offers insight into how a system in your body is working. A cholesterol particle count, a blood sugar reading or a marker of inflammation can each reveal something specific.
Bloodwork can produce pages of these results. Yet no single number tells the whole story. Their value emerges when they are considered together and understood in the context of your health.
Seen together—and through the lens of your history, life stage and goals—these signals become more than numbers. They reveal how different aspects of your health connect, what deserves attention today and what may be worth watching over time.
At Stem Health, this picture takes shape across six connected areas of health. Each reveals something different. Together, they help your care team see the whole - helping you and your physician recognize patterns, understand risks and notice changes that may not yet be visible in how you feel.
At Stem Health, 96 biomarkers are considered across six connected areas of health.
Cardiovascular health
Cardiovascular biomarkers offer a closer look at what is happening within your heart and blood vessels.
Alongside a standard lipid panel, Stem examines ApoB. This helps estimate the number of cholesterol-carrying particles that can contribute to plaque buildup in the arteries. The Canadian Cardiovascular Society recognizes ApoB as an important measure when assessing cardiovascular risk.
The panel also includes Lp(a), a largely inherited particle that can influence cardiovascular risk but is not commonly included in routine testing.
Together, these markers add depth and context to traditional cholesterol results.
Metabolic health
Metabolic biomarkers help your physician understand how your body processes and uses energy.
Fasting insulin and calculations based on insulin and glucose can offer additional context on how your body is managing blood sugar — even when a standard glucose result remains within range.
Considered alongside your body composition and other results, these markers create a more complete view of your metabolic health than weight alone could provide.
Hormonal health
Hormones can influence many aspects of how you feel, including your energy, sleep, mood and metabolism.
Your thyroid is considered through the markers appropriate to your health and circumstances. Where clinically relevant, this may include Free T3, Free T4 and thyroid antibodies alongside TSH.
Other hormones are selected with the same care, guided by your age, life stage, symptoms and personal health history.
Inflammation
Inflammation is part of the body’s natural response to illness or injury. When it remains elevated, however, it can offer important context about your health.
Markers such as high-sensitivity C-reactive protein, or hs-CRP, can help identify inflammatory activity and contribute to cardiovascular risk assessment. The American Heart Association recognizes hs-CRP as a marker associated with cardiovascular risk.
Homocysteine may provide further context when interpreted alongside your nutritional status, kidney function and cardiovascular profile. Neither result stands alone. Your physician considers each one within the wider picture.
Nutritional health
Nutritional biomarkers help show what is present in your body, complementing what you know about your diet.
The omega-3 index reflects the levels of EPA and DHA in red blood cell membranes. The panel also considers key vitamins and minerals, including vitamin D, B12, ferritin and magnesium.
These results can bring possible gaps into clearer view and help your physician offer guidance grounded in your individual needs.
Organ function
Your organs perform much of the quiet, continuous work that keeps you well.
Liver enzymes, kidney markers, a complete blood count and iron studies offer insight into how those essential systems are functioning day to day.
These familiar tests may receive less attention than more specialized biomarkers, but they remain an important part of understanding your overall health.
Choosing what matters for you
Every panel begins with a validated core. From there, it is shaped around you.
Your history, family history, life stage, concerns and goals all influence which markers deserve closer attention. Two people may begin with similar testing and leave with very different insights.
Your intake conversation gives your care team time to listen, understand what matters to you and choose each test with purpose. The goal is not to collect the greatest number of results. It is to gather the information that can offer the greatest clarity for your care.
From results to understanding
An assessment should leave you with more answers than questions.
Every Stem result is reviewed with a physician and accompanied by a clear summary of what it may mean for you. If something deserves closer attention, your care team helps determine the next step and follows it through. The result, its meaning and any follow-up become part of your Health Story. Nothing is left as an isolated number or a loose end for you to manage alone.
Seen together, biomarkers do not define your health. They help your care team understand it more clearly — so you can make thoughtful decisions about what matters now and what may matter in the years ahead.
To explore the biomarkers included and how Stem approaches your results, visit the diagnostics page or book a private conversation with the Stem Health team.
Care Rooted in You.