Bespoke Panel 9 combines six tests often requested together: a full blood count, a cholesterol profile, ferritin, vitamin D, vitamin B12 and folate. It looks at your blood cells, iron stores, three nutrients involved in blood cell production and bone health, and the blood fats used in cardiovascular risk assessment.
Any result outside the reference range is a reason for clinical review rather than a diagnosis in itself.
What is measured
- Full blood count: red cells, haemoglobin, white cells and platelets
- Cholesterol profile: total, HDL, LDL and non-HDL cholesterol, triglycerides and the total cholesterol to HDL ratio
- Ferritin: the main blood marker of stored iron
- Vitamin D (25-hydroxyvitamin D), vitamin B12 and folate (listed by the laboratory as folic acid)
Useful for
- Checking for anaemia and low iron, B12 or folate as part of a wider assessment of symptoms such as tiredness
- Reviewing nutrient status with a restricted diet, such as a vegan diet, or reduced absorption
- A cholesterol result to take to a cardiovascular risk discussion with your GP
Sample: venous blood. Biomarkers: six tests; the full blood count and cholesterol profile each report several values. Price includes: laboratory analysis and the laboratory's results report with reference ranges. Interpretation is optional and priced separately.
Bespoke Panel 9
- Full blood count (measured by analyser): haemoglobin, red cell count, haematocrit, red cell indices (MCV, MCH, MCHC, RDW), white cell count and types, and platelets. Exact parameters depend on the laboratory.
- Ferritin (measured): stored iron.
- Vitamin B12 (measured): serum (total) B12, for red cell production and nerve function.
- Folate (measured; listed as folic acid): serum folate, which reflects recent intake.
- Vitamin D (measured): 25-hydroxyvitamin D.
- Total cholesterol, HDL cholesterol and triglycerides (measured).
- LDL cholesterol (usually calculated), non-HDL cholesterol (calculated) and total cholesterol to HDL ratio (calculated).
Not included: serum iron, transferrin saturation, CRP and active B12.
Blood cells and the nutrients that build them
Red blood cells are made continuously in the bone marrow and need iron to build haemoglobin, and vitamin B12 and folate to copy DNA as cells divide. Iron shortage tends to produce small, pale red cells; B12 or folate shortage tends to produce large ones. The full blood count reports these size indices (such as MCV) alongside haemoglobin, which is why it often gives the first clue to a nutritional cause of anaemia. Stores can run low before anaemia appears, and B12 deficiency can cause numbness or tingling while the blood count still looks normal, so measuring the nutrients directly adds information.
Ferritin
Ferritin stores iron inside cells, and the amount in blood broadly mirrors body stores. The British Society of Gastroenterology calls it the single most useful marker of iron deficiency. It is also an acute phase protein that rises with inflammation, so a normal value does not rule out low stores during illness.
Vitamin D
Most UK vitamin D comes from summer sunlight on the skin. The liver converts it to 25-hydroxyvitamin D, the form measured here. SACN based its recommendations on musculoskeletal health, where evidence is strongest, and found the evidence for other outcomes insufficient.
Cholesterol
NICE describes a full lipid profile as measuring total cholesterol, HDL cholesterol and triglycerides, from which LDL and non-HDL cholesterol are calculated. In UK practice these feed into the QRISK3 calculator with age, blood pressure, smoking and other factors, so cholesterol is one input into cardiovascular risk rather than a risk score itself.
Each result appears beside the laboratory's reference range. Ranges vary between laboratories and, for haemoglobin, by sex and age. A value just outside a range is often of no significance, and a value inside it does not exclude a problem if you have symptoms.
Blood count and ferritin
Red cell values are affected by recent transfusion, some medicines, heavy alcohol use and iron, B12 or folate deficiency; dehydration and smoking can push them up. The BSG guideline treats ferritin below 15 µg/L as highly specific for iron deficiency and suggests 45 µg/L as a practical threshold. In men and in women after the menopause, iron deficiency usually needs medical investigation to find its cause, so discuss a low ferritin with your GP rather than simply taking supplements.
B12 and folate
NICE NG239 treats total B12 below 180 ng/L as low and 180–350 ng/L as indeterminate, though laboratories may use their own validated thresholds. Total B12 falls in pregnancy without true deficiency, and the combined pill can lower it. Serum folate below about 7 nmol/L (3 µg/L) suggests deficiency, but it reflects recent intake, so one low result after a few days of poor eating may not reflect long-term status.
Vitamin D
Below 25 nmol/L is considered deficient in UK guidance. The Royal Osteoporosis Society describes 25–50 nmol/L as possibly inadequate for some people and above 50 nmol/L as sufficient for almost everyone. Levels are lowest in late winter.
Cholesterol
NICE NG238 recommends specialist assessment when total cholesterol is above 9.0 mmol/L or non-HDL cholesterol is above 7.5 mmol/L, and urgent review for triglycerides above 20 mmol/L. Alcohol, poorly controlled diabetes, an underactive thyroid and liver or kidney disease can all disturb lipids. LDL may not be reported when triglycerides are high.
If a result needs medical attention, we will advise you to see your GP and, with your consent, Juvenology can write to them. Do not change any prescribed medicine on the basis of this test.
- Diet: B12 comes almost entirely from animal foods, so a vegan diet without fortified foods or supplements raises the risk of deficiency.
- Absorption: stomach or bowel conditions, gastric surgery and some long-term medicines reduce absorption of B12 or iron.
- Blood loss: heavy periods are a common cause of low iron stores.
- Sunlight: little time outdoors, covered skin or darker skin reduce vitamin D production.
- Cardiovascular risk: NICE recommends QRISK3 assessment for adults aged 25 to 84 without cardiovascular disease, and a family history of high cholesterol or early heart disease is a reason to check lipids.
Seeing the markers together also helps: small red cells with low ferritin point in a different direction from large red cells with low B12.
May be useful if
- you have symptoms such as tiredness, breathlessness on exertion, a sore tongue or pins and needles, alongside a GP assessment
- you follow a restricted diet, have had gastric surgery, or have heavy periods
- you want a cholesterol result for a cardiovascular risk discussion
May not be the right choice if
- you have chest pain, severe breathlessness, black or bloody stools or unexplained weight loss: seek prompt medical care through your GP, NHS 111 or 999
- you are pregnant: NICE advises active B12 as the first test in pregnancy, so speak to your midwife or GP
- your GP has recently checked these markers, or you are already being monitored for a related condition
People without symptoms or risk factors do not necessarily need these tests.
Established: anaemia in later life is not a normal part of ageing and usually warrants a search for the cause. B12 deficiency becomes more common with age, partly through autoimmune gastritis. Cholesterol is an established, modifiable contributor to cardiovascular disease.
Associations: low vitamin D is linked with poorer bone health. Links with many other conditions come largely from observational studies, which SACN noted may reflect reverse causation or confounding, and trial results have been inconsistent.
Limits: this panel does not measure how fast you are ageing or predict lifespan.
- Fasting: not required. NICE does not mandate a fasting sample for cholesterol; a fasting repeat may be suggested if triglycerides are high.
- Folic acid and B vitamins: take them after your sample on the day, as recent intake can mask a low folate.
- Biotin: high-dose biotin can interfere with some immunoassays. Tell us if you take it; the laboratory may advise pausing it.
- Other supplements and medicines: continue as usual and tell us what you take.
- Illness: infection raises ferritin and can alter the blood count, so consider rebooking if unwell.
Choose how your sample is taken when you book. We confirm the collection option, any collection fee and the expected turnaround time before you book.
- Juvenology Clinic, Maidstone (82 King Street, Maidstone ME14 1BH): Available.
- Partner collection location, including London: Available on request. We confirm availability for your postcode before you book.
- Postal home finger-prick kit: Ask before ordering. We offer a home kit only where the laboratory confirms this test is suitable for a finger-prick sample.
Sample: Venous blood sample (whole blood for the full blood count; serum for the other tests, as confirmed by the laboratory)
Collection notes: No fasting needed for the cholesterol profile. Avoid folic acid or B-vitamin supplements on the morning of the test. The full blood count needs prompt analysis of a well-mixed sample, so a venous sample is preferred; a postal finger-prick kit is offered only if the laboratory confirms all six tests are validated for capillary samples.
The price of this test covers laboratory analysis and the laboratory's results report. The report lists each result beside the laboratory's reference range.
Beyond the blood test: optional support, priced separately
- Personalised written interpretation report: £50
- General consultation: £50
- Results consultation (results discussion and follow-up advice): £100
- Personalised programme: from £150, after we assess whether a programme suits you
Consultations are with Marina, an NMC-registered nurse with an Executive MSc in Longevity from the Geneva College of Longevity Science. She explains what your results show and how they relate to lifestyle. No prescription service is offered with these tests.
If a result suggests you need medical follow-up, we will recommend that you see your GP and, with your consent, can provide a letter to take with you. A blood test cannot rule out every condition. If you have symptoms, speak to your GP or NHS 111, and call 999 in an emergency.
Does this panel check my iron?
It includes ferritin, the most useful single marker of iron stores, but not serum iron, transferrin saturation or CRP. A clinician may suggest these if ferritin is hard to interpret.
Which vitamin B12 test is used?
Serum (total) B12, the usual first test in the UK. Active B12 is not included.
If my cholesterol is high, will I be given a statin?
Juvenology does not prescribe. Treatment decisions are made with your GP, usually after a QRISK3 assessment.
I already take vitamin D. Is testing worthwhile?
It can confirm your level on your current intake. The Royal Osteoporosis Society does not recommend routine testing of people without symptoms, so this is a choice rather than a necessity.
Is interpretation included in the price?
The price covers analysis and the laboratory's report. You can add an optional personalised written interpretation report (£50) or a results consultation (£100).
Can I use a home finger-prick kit?
Only if the laboratory confirms every test suits a posted capillary sample. The full blood count needs prompt analysis, so a clinic venous sample is usually more reliable.
- Vitamin B12 deficiency in over 16s: diagnosis and management (NG239). National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, 2024. https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng239
- Cardiovascular disease: risk assessment and reduction, including lipid modification (NG238). National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, 2023. https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng238
- Snook J, Bhala N, Beales ILP, et al. British Society of Gastroenterology guidelines for the management of iron deficiency anaemia in adults. Gut, 2021;70(11):2030–2051. https://gut.bmj.com/content/70/11/2030
- Devalia V, Hamilton MS, Molloy AM. Guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of cobalamin and folate disorders. British Journal of Haematology, 2014;166:496–513 (B12 sections superseded by NICE NG239). https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/bjh.12959
- Vitamin D and Bone Health: A Practical Clinical Guideline for Patient Management. Royal Osteoporosis Society, 2018 (reviewed 2020). https://theros.org.uk/media/ef2ideu2/ros-vitamin-d-and-bone-health-in-adults-february-2020.pdf
- SACN Vitamin D and Health report. Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition, 2016. https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/sacn-vitamin-d-and-health-report
- Full blood count (FBC). Lab Tests Online UK (Association for Laboratory Medicine), accessed 2026. https://labtestsonline.org.uk/tests/full-blood-count-fbc
