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Incumbents are starting to enter the “longevity space,” looking to tap into the fast-growing consumer health market.

Labcorp is the latest, launching their Whole Health Solutions.

In this article, I’ll highlight Labcorp’s latest service, give a quick overview of the “longevity” space, and tell you what this means for patients, physicians, and the health system at large.

Labcorp’s Whole Health Solutions is designed for providers focused on “holistic care.” Think functional medicine, integrative medicine, and some primary care docs (though I’d bet more of the former than the latter).

The service includes lab panels that test for over 1,000 biomarkers, such as:

From what I can tell, the individual tests in these panels aren’t new. What’s new is how Labcorp is bundling them—essentially packaging existing tests into themed panels that providers can order more easily. Kind of like me grouping past articles into an “Artificial Intelligence” or “Policy” series.

It also looks like this service isn’t available directly to consumers—they have to go through a provider. And whether insurance will cover a panel of tests like this is another question.

I covered the longevity space a while back when Function Health acquired Ezra. At its core, the “longevity” space is all about health tools—like lab tests and wearables—designed to help people live longer, healthier lives.

In the past few years, startups have popped up across the board, all betting on one idea: that people will pay out-of-pocket to proactively monitor their health, even without insurance coverage. I’ll admit I’ve fallen into that camp (s/o WHOOP—though night shifts definitely aren’t boosting my longevity).

The market is growing fast. It’s expected to hit $600B by the end of this year.

In the lab testing world, here are a few of the players trying to carve out their slice:

From what I can tell, most of the above companies—except for Quest—are outsourcing their lab testing. Quest and Labcorp can do it all in-house, which gives them a big cost advantage.

To be honest, I’m still trying to wrap my head around the longevity space—from a physician’s perspective.

From the patient side, I get it. I’ve been tuned into this space since my high school track and triathlon days, wearing a Garmin that tracked every stride, stroke, and heartbeat—spitting out my VO2 max and “fitness age.” It was motivating. Now, I wear a WHOOP 24/7 and see firsthand the toll that night shifts, late meals, and raising a kid take on my recovery. The insights are valuable and encourage healthier habits. That’s a win.

But as a physician, I find myself scratching my head. Isn’t my job already to help patients live longer and healthier lives? When I review CGM data, titrate insulin or GLP-1s, and manage chronic conditions—that’s longevity, right? Or is that just…medicine? At some point, “longevity” starts to feel more like a branding play—healthcare rebranded for the wellness-savvy, cash-paying consumer.

Then there’s the question of these expanded lab panels. What’s a physician supposed to do with the results of 30 or 40 tests? For most routine checkups, a CBC, BMP, lipid panel (+/- ApoB, Lp(a)), and A1c usually covers it. But if an asymptomatic patient shows a mildly elevated CRP—what then? Refer to rheumatology? GI? Chase a red herring?

That’s the bigger concern: unnecessary testing can trigger costly and unnecessary downstream workups. From a health system perspective, it’s inefficient and expensive.

But for independent physicians—especially those with direct-to-consumer models—offering “longevity panels” might be a way to stand out. It’s a clean, marketable product. Patients may not know what ApoB is, but “Women’s Comprehensive Hormone Panel” or “Longevity & Vitality Panel” has a clear appeal. It packages something complex into something accessible—and that can be powerful, even if it’s mostly repackaging.

So here’s my working take on the longevity space:

Longevity might be the buzzword. But whether it’s a breakthrough or just good branding depends on how it’s used.

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