Rosa articles: biomarkers, prevention and longevity

Rosa pieces on biomarkers, prevention and longevity. Written the way a doctor friend would actually explain them: one concept at a time, with sources shown and honest about limits.

All articles

• Ferritin: the silent cause of fatigue your GP doesn't measure.Your iron stores can sit nearly empty while your standard blood count looks perfect. Here's why we always check.
• "Within range" is not the same as thriving.Lab reference ranges are built on the population average. That is exactly why the average shouldn't be your target.
• The 90 day protocol: how long it actually takes to shift a biomarker.Not all markers respond at the same speed. Here is what to expect, week by week.
• Vitamin D isn't a vitamin. And you almost certainly don't have enough.More than four in five Italians test below the optimal range, even in July. Here is what that costs you, and what to do about it.
• Testosterone: the number nobody has ever properly checked.Being "within range" is not the same as being well. Here is what happens when your testosterone drops, and nobody tells you.
• HbA1c: the three month window into your blood sugar, and how much you are actually risking.A fasting glucose test tells you about this morning. HbA1c tells you about the last three months. The difference is enormous.
• hsCRP: the silent fire that burns without you feeling it.Low grade chronic inflammation doesn't hurt. It doesn't show. But it predicts heart disease, Alzheimer's, and cancer years before symptoms.
• Cortisol: how chronic stress lands in your blood before you notice it.Stress has a mechanism. It isn't just a feeling. And it shows up in your blood months before the body breaks down.
• Omega 3 Index: the fat that protects your heart and brain, and that almost nobody tests.The link between omega 3s and cardiovascular health is one of the most studied connections in nutritional medicine. Almost nobody checks whether they have enough.
• Thyroid: why thyroid problems go undiagnosed for years.Subclinical hypothyroidism affects up to 20% of women over 60. The standard test often misses it, because the threshold is set too high.
• Homocysteine: the predictor nobody knows that tells you about your future.An amino acid that doubles stroke and dementia risk. Costs almost nothing to measure. Almost never in a standard checkup.
• Testosterone in women: the overlooked hormone that changes everything.Women produce testosterone. It has profound effects on energy, libido, muscle, and mood. And almost nobody measures it.
• Biological age vs. chronological age: the number that actually tells you how you are ageing.Your passport says how old you are. Your blood says how fast you are ageing. That is a difference worth years of healthy life.