The labs that pick
your protocol.
Ten biomarkers, one $149 panel, results in 2–3 business days. The minimum a Meto clinician needs to safely match you to a protocol — and the same panel a thoughtful longevity clinic would order.
Why labs first
Three things you can't guess.
Whether it's safe
Liver enzymes, glucose and HbA1c rule out the dose-modifying conditions that change which peptides we'd choose. Skipping them is the fastest way to a bad outcome.
Whether it's needed
An IGF-1 of 180 ng/mL doesn't need a GH-axis stack. An IGF-1 of 95 ng/mL might. Same person, different protocol — and only labs tell us which.
Whether it's working
Without a baseline, we can't measure response. Repeat labs at 3 and 6 months are how we know whether to continue, adjust or stop.
What's measured
Ten biomarkers,
explained.
IGF-1
GH axis
Insulin-like Growth Factor 1 is the downstream marker of growth-hormone activity. Low IGF-1 (under 120 ng/mL) signals a blunted GH axis — the trigger for the P2 Muscle Preservation stack.
Protocol impact — P2, P4 required baseline. Reduce dose 50% if IGF-1 exceeds upper limit of normal.
hs-CRP
Inflammation
High-sensitivity C-Reactive Protein flags systemic inflammation. Elevated hs-CRP changes the calculus on every protocol — and is one of the trigger conditions for P4 Comprehensive.
Protocol impact — P4 trigger when >3.0 mg/L. Consider RENEW (4-peptide) for chronic elevation.
Fasting glucose
Metabolic
Baseline glucose homeostasis. Critical safety gate before prescribing any GH-axis peptide (CJC, Ipamorelin, Tesamorelin, Sermorelin) since GH can transiently raise glucose.
Protocol impact — P2, P4 required baseline. Glucose >126 = dose-reduction note.
HbA1c
Metabolic
90-day average blood glucose. The chronic counterpart to fasting glucose — and the more reliable safety gate for GH-axis peptides.
Protocol impact — Required for P2, P4. HbA1c ≥6.5% triggers monitoring escalation.
Fasting insulin
Metabolic
Reads insulin resistance earlier than glucose or HbA1c. Often the most actionable single biomarker for metabolic-syndrome members.
Protocol impact — P4 baseline. Stratifies GLP-1 + peptide stacking decisions.
CMP
General
Comprehensive Metabolic Panel covers electrolytes, kidney function (BUN/creatinine), and liver enzymes. Catches the contraindications upfront.
multi-component panel — electrolytes / kidney / liver
Protocol impact — Recommended baseline for all stacks. Required for P2, P4.
TSH · fT4 · fT3
Thyroid
Full thyroid panel. Thyroid dysfunction mimics low-GH symptoms (fatigue, lean-mass loss, cold intolerance) — rule it out before reaching for GH-axis peptides.
TSH 0.4–4.0 mIU/L · fT4 0.8–1.8 ng/dL · fT3 2.3–4.2 pg/mL
Protocol impact — P4 baseline. Essential differential for P2 candidates.
Lipid panel
Lipids
Tracks cardiometabolic risk. Tesamorelin, AOD-9604 and the SCULPT formulation all have lipid-modifying signal worth tracking.
LDL <100 · HDL >40(M)/50(F) · TG <150 mg/dL
Protocol impact — Recommended baseline for P4 and SCULPT. Repeat at 3 and 6 months.
ALT · AST
Liver
Liver enzymes. Required gate for any peptide protocol — and the single most common reason we delay a prescription pending repeat labs.
Protocol impact — ALT >40 = dose reduction or hold. Required for P2, P4.
CBC
General
Complete Blood Count — flags anemia, infection, and platelet abnormalities. Standard safety gate.
multi-component panel — RBC / WBC / platelets
Protocol impact — Recommended for P2, P3 (extended cycles), P4.
Cold-chain shipping
From 2–8 °C, door to
door.
Lyophilised peptides are shipped reconstituted-ready in insulated packaging with gel packs rated for the destination's climate. Shipments include a temperature indicator strip — and if a package is delayed or arrives compromised, we re-ship for free.
What you'll get
- Insulated EPP container
- Temperature indicator strip
- Climate-rated gel packs
- Free re-ship on compromise
Your signals.
Your protocol.
The Meto matching engine reads your symptom scores and labs and proposes one of the four. Here are the rules a clinician would use — and that the engine codifies.
Repeat schedule
When to draw again.
Month 0 — Baseline
Before any prescription
Full Peptide Readiness Panel before any prescription. The reference point for every subsequent draw.
Month 3 — Mid-cycle check
Confirming the protocol is on track
Subset (IGF-1, glucose, ALT/AST) for GH-axis stacks; full panel for P4.
Month 6 — Continuation decision
Continue, adjust, or step down
Full panel + outcome data. The data point that makes long-term protocols defensible.
$149. Two days to
results.
Order the panel, draw at any Quest or LabCorp near you, or use the finger-prick kit shipped to your door. Clinician interpretation lands in your dashboard within 24 hours of results.