Why your DNA and blood biomarkers may be the most important data you never learned to understand.
Introduction: A New Era of Personal Health Intelligence
Most people evaluate their health using surface-level signals—energy, weight, strength, mood, stress, sleep. But real clarity comes from deeper data. Genetics reveal the hand you were dealt. Blood work shows how you’re playing that hand right now.
Together, they form a blueprint of your metabolic health, inflammation, hormones, cardiovascular risk, recovery potential, and long-term resilience. As personalized medicine becomes mainstream, more people are asking the same questions:
- What do my biomarkers actually mean?
- Am I headed toward insulin resistance? Heart disease? Low testosterone?
- Can lifestyle changes turn off genetic risks?
- Which numbers matter most—and what should I do if mine are off?
To answer those questions, I sat down with Dr. Jake Huebner, a chiropractor, functional medicine practitioner, and genetic testing expert, to break down the fundamentals of blood work and genetics—and to analyze my own 65-marker panel in real time.
What follows is a clear guide to the most important lessons from that conversation—designed to help you understand your own health data, identify early warning signs, and take meaningful action.
1. The Foundations: Genetics vs. Blood Work
Genetics: The Hand You’re Dealt
Your genetics identify predispositions—how your body tends to respond to food, stress, inflammation, detoxification, metabolism, hormones, and more. They point to:
- Cholesterol tendencies
- How efficiently you detoxify
- Your inflammatory baseline
- Carbohydrate sensitivity
- Methylation capacity
- Exercise responsiveness
- Hormonal patterns
Genetics do not determine destiny. They show risk, not outcome.
Blood Work: The Scoreboard of Today
Where genetics show potential, blood work reveals:
- Current inflammation
- Liver health
- Cardiovascular stress
- Insulin activity
- Hormonal status
- Nutrient deficiencies
- Stress load
- Recovery capacity
Think of it this way:
Genetics load the gun. Lifestyle pulls the trigger.
(Or, in simpler terms: genetics is your hand of cards, blood work is how you play them.)
The power comes from understanding both—so you can influence outcomes long before problems become symptoms.
2. The Most Important Markers Everyone Should Track
Dr. Huebner evaluates dozens of biomarkers, but the ones with the greatest impact on long-term health fall into a few categories.
A. Inflammation & Cardiovascular Risk
High-Sensitivity CRP (hs-CRP)
The most important marker for systemic inflammation and long-term disease risk. Even mild elevations can signal trouble.
Apolipoprotein B (ApoB)
Arguably the single most important cholesterol marker. It tells you whether LDL particles are dangerous.
- High LDL alone? Not ideal, but not always a crisis.
- High LDL + high ApoB? Clear elevation in cardiovascular risk.
This combination is uncommon in exceptionally healthy individuals—which is why it deserves attention when it appears.
Sources:
- Journal of the American College of Cardiology: ApoB as superior marker of cardiovascular risk
- Harvard Health: Why ApoB matters more than LDL
B. Metabolic Health
Insulin
The earliest and most sensitive indicator of metabolic dysfunction. High insulin precedes prediabetes by years.
Fasting Glucose
Useful but less predictive than insulin alone.
Hemoglobin A1c
Reflects long-term blood sugar patterns, but can be misleading in very fit individuals.
C. Liver Function
ALT / AST (Liver Enzymes)
Elevations can indicate:
- Alcohol-related stress
- Overtraining
- Fatty liver changes
- Medication impact
- Detoxification inefficiency
- Caffeine/nicotine overload
- Genetic polymorphisms affecting detox pathways
For people who train intensely—or consume nicotine and caffeine—mild elevations are common but still worth addressing.
D. Hormonal Health (Especially for Men)
Total Testosterone
Free Testosterone
SHBG (Sex Hormone–Binding Globulin)
Estradiol
Together, these markers determine energy, muscle, mood, sleep, libido, metabolism, and long-term vitality.
Most men over 35 underperform in this category. Many don’t realize it.
E. Methylation & Cognitive Health
Homocysteine
A misunderstood but critical marker. Elevated levels increase risk for:
- Vascular inflammation
- Cognitive decline
- Poor methylation
- Poor detoxification
- Elevated oxidative stress
This is often tied to MTHFR and related genes—but lifestyle can improve it dramatically.
3. What My Own Results Showed (And Why They Matter)
When Jake reviewed my panel, several themes emerged—some reassuring, others revealing the price of certain habits.
Here are the most important takeaways.
A. Testosterone & Metabolic Health: Strong
- Total testosterone: 882 ng/dL
- Free testosterone: 125 pg/mL
- Insulin: excellent
- Fasting glucose: optimal
For a 40-year-old father of three with a demanding job, that’s an unusually strong profile. Training, sleep discipline, and nutrition clearly make a difference.
B. Cardiovascular Risk: Elevated
Even in very fit individuals, genetics can put pressure on the cardiovascular system.
Key markers:
- High LDL
- High ApoB
- Elevated homocysteine
- High iron saturation
- Elevated SHBG (linked to liver stress)
- Mild inflammation (monocytes)
None of these independently mean “danger.” But together, they tell a clear story:
There is cardiovascular stress driven by genetics plus a few key lifestyle habits.
Which habits?
- High caffeine consumption (5 double espressos/day)
- Nicotine pouches
- Alcohol twice per week
- Years of previous alcohol use
- Moderate chronic stress
- Very high training load
In other words: the exact combination likely to elevate cardiovascular markers even when everything else is dialed in.
4. What Causes These Elevations? The Real Culprits
Jake identified several drivers that commonly elevate ApoB, SHBG, homocysteine, and liver enzymes—even in lean, fit people:
1. Nicotine (strongest vascular stressor)
Vasoconstriction, elevated heart strain, endothelial dysfunction.
2. Excessive Caffeine + Nicotine (dangerous combination)
Together they tighten blood vessels and compound cardiovascular load.
3. Alcohol (even moderate amounts)
For genetically sensitive people, two drinks/week can still elevate:
- ALT
- SHBG
- ApoB
- Oxidative stress
- Homocysteine
4. Genetic predispositions
Some people are built to have higher cholesterol, higher SHBG, slower detoxification, or elevated homocysteine.
5. Stress
Cortisol disrupts insulin, fat storage, liver function, sleep, and inflammation.
6. Overtraining without adequate recovery
Heavy lifting + inadequate sleep + stimulants can significantly elevate liver enzymes and inflammatory markers.
5. What To Do If Your Markers Look Like Mine
Jake’s recommendations were simple, direct, and backed by clinical experience.
1. Remove Nicotine Completely
The fastest way to improve cardiovascular markers.
2. Reduce Caffeine by Half
Not eliminate—just bring consumption into a normal range.
3. Remove Alcohol for 90 Days
Not because of morality. Because of physiology.
For genetically sensitive people, even light use can disrupt:
- Liver enzymes
- Methylation
- Hormones
- Sleep
- Cardiovascular stress
4. Maintain Current Training & Cardio
Resistance training + Zone 2 remains the best heart-health stack.
5. Re-test in 3–6 Months
The most important action step.
You can’t improve what you don’t measure.
6. Why Everyone Should Do Genetic Testing and Blood Work
You do not need symptoms to benefit from this data. In fact:
Most people wait until symptoms appear—by then, the damage has begun.
Blood work and genetic testing can identify problems 10–20 years before they surface.
Jake’s recommended path:
- Genetic testing once (to understand your long-term blueprint)
- Blood work every 6 months (to track what’s happening right now)
- A qualified expert to interpret the data (because most people get lost in their results)
- A lifestyle plan tied to your biomarkers
- Periodic retesting to measure progress
This is the future of preventive health—and it’s available today.
Conclusion: Your Health Story Is Written in Your Data — Learn to Read It
You can be fit, disciplined, energetic, strong, and motivated—and still have blind spots.
You can train hard, sleep well, eat clean—and still carry genetic risks that require attention.
You can do almost everything right—and still uncover biomarkers that show where you need to course-correct.
That’s the power of personalized data.
It replaces fear with clarity, and guesswork with strategy.
If you’ve never done comprehensive blood work or genetic testing, now is the time. Not because something is wrong—because something can be optimized.
Your genetics show your potential.
Your choices determine your trajectory.
Your blood work tells the truth.
By Jesse Carrajat
Host – Running Free | Founder – Altum Fitness | USMC Veteran
