Specialty Testing Guide › TruHealth Micronutrient Testing
TruAge and TruHealth come from the same lab, TruDiagnostic, and both read DNA methylation from a blood sample, but they answer different questions. TruAge asks how fast you seem to be aging, using epigenetic clocks such as DunedinPACE and GrimAge. TruHealth asks where more than 100 nutrition, metabolic and inflammation markers are likely to sit, using methylation-based estimates.
Pick TruAge if your goal is a biological aging baseline you can track over time. Pick TruHealth if you want a broad overview of nutrition and metabolic patterns. Many people need neither as a first step, and some choose both.
Key takeaways
- Both tests come from TruDiagnostic and both are built on DNA methylation, not on direct measurement of the things they report.
- TruAge gives aging-pace and risk scores; TruHealth gives percentile estimates for many individual markers.
- Neither diagnoses disease, and changing either score has not yet been shown to change long-term outcomes.
- TruHealth is a $375 add-on at our clinic, while TruAge pricing is available from our team.
Same lab, different questions
DNA methylation is a pattern of chemical tags on your DNA that shifts with age and with exposures such as smoking, diet and body weight. TruDiagnostic uses that same raw data in two ways.
TruAge runs it through epigenetic clocks. DunedinPACE was built from a study that tracked decline in 19 measures of organ health across two decades, then condensed that into a single blood test.1 GrimAge was built to predict lifespan and healthspan.2 The clinic's TruAge reports include both.
TruHealth runs it through models that predict individual blood markers, such as vitamins, amino acids, fats, cholesterol, HbA1c and CRP. TruDiagnostic describes TruHealth as using the same epigenetic technology that powers TruAge, applied to these surrogate markers.3
Side-by-side comparison
| Question | TruAge | TruHealth |
|---|---|---|
| Main question | How fast am I aging biologically? | Where are my nutrition, metabolic and inflammation markers likely to sit? |
| Key outputs | Aging clocks including DunedinPACE and GrimAge | 100+ marker estimates shown as percentiles |
| How results are produced | Methylation clocks trained on aging, disease and mortality data | Methylation models trained to predict measured blood markers |
| Best use | A baseline and long-term tracking of aging pace | A broad overview that guides which standard tests and habits to focus on |
| Main limit | A population predictor, not a diagnosis; individual results carry measurement noise | Estimates track measured levels only loosely; confirm before treating |
| Price at YoungerMeMD | Ask our team for current pricing | $375 add-on |
What the evidence supports for each
DunedinPACE showed high test-retest reliability and was linked with disease, disability and death in follow-up studies.1 These are strong research findings across groups of people. They do not turn one person's score into a diagnosis, and small changes between two tests may be noise.
Can lifestyle move the number? In the CALERIE trial, two years of calorie restriction slowed DunedinPACE, but the effect was small and GrimAge did not change significantly.4 No trial has yet shown that lowering your clock score itself prevents disease. Our guides on DunedinPACE and GrimAge go deeper.
For TruHealth, the honest summary is that the estimates carry real signal across populations but are not precise for one person.5 A low vitamin estimate should be confirmed with a standard blood test before high-dose supplementing.
Which one fits your goal
- "I want a baseline for how I am aging and to track it every year or two." TruAge.
- "I want a broad look at nutrition and metabolic patterns before changing my diet." TruHealth.
- "I think I am low in iron, B12 or vitamin D." Neither. A standard blood test answers that directly, and TruHealth does not estimate iron or B12.
- "I want to know if I have a disease." Neither. Start with your primary care clinician and standard screening.
Can you do both?
Yes, some patients do. Because both tests come from methylation data, ask our team whether one sample can be used for both and how ordering works, since those details are not published. If you only choose one, start with the question you are most likely to act on.
Next step: talk to our team
At YoungerMeMD in Conshohocken, Pennsylvania, specialty tests are added to the $599 assessment (or the $724 Hormone Assessment) at checkout on the payment page. TruHealth is $375; for TruAge, ask our team for current pricing. Testing is self-pay through the clinic; ask our team about receipts for your own insurer or HSA. Visits are in person or by telehealth for patients located in Pennsylvania. Not sure which test fits? Contact our team before you book, or browse the TruHealth hub.
Frequently asked questions
Does TruHealth include my biological age?
TruHealth focuses on marker estimates rather than aging clocks. If biological age is your main interest, TruAge is the test built for that question.
Will either test tell me which supplements to take?
Not reliably on its own. TruHealth reports include general supplement suggestions, but a clinician should confirm any real shortfall with a standard blood test and choose the dose.
How often would I repeat these tests?
That depends on what you are tracking and what you would change. Ask your clinician; retesting too often mostly picks up measurement noise rather than real change.
Related reading
This article is for general education and is not medical advice. Decisions about testing and treatment should be made with your clinician. If you have severe symptoms, call 911. For a suspected poisoning, call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222.
