‘I Tried Midi Health for Biomarker Testing—Here's What I Learned About My Health'
Considering that I'm a journalist, it's not a surprise that I believe that knowledge is power—especially when it comes to health. Up to 80% of chronic diseases and premature death could be prevented by having healthy diet and lifestyle factors in place. Additionally, early diagnosis of cancer significantly improves survival rates. To me, there is no downside to knowing more about your health.With this in mind, when I was offered the opportunity to try the first-ever longevity program specifically for women with Midi Health, I jumped at the opportunity. Midi Health is the largest virtual health platform for women in midlife. Primarily serving women in perimenopause and menopause, visits are covered by insurance, so most patients only have a co-pay—a sharp contrast to many concierge virtual health platforms. (For those paying out-of-pocket, the first visit is $250 and follow-up appointments are $150.) I met with a Midi Health provider who talked to me about my specific health risks and what I could do to optimize my health, including improving my longevity. This included biomarker testing, which helps identify specific characteristics to understand one's disease risk. Keep reading to find out what I learned. 🩺SIGN UP for tips to stay healthy & fit with the top moves, clean eats, health trends & more delivered right to your inbox twice a week💊
When it comes to preventative health, biomarker testing can be an important tool. It involves analyzing biological indicators (AKA biomarkers) in a person's body to assess their health. Certain biomarkers can show how at risk someone is for developing certain diseases or cancers. This info can help with figuring out how to lower your risk through diet and lifestyle changes, or through medication.There are a few different ways to do biomarker testing for preventive health. One is through bloodwork. Another is through imaging testing, such as getting a full-body MRI. It can also involve analyzing tissue samples or bodily fluids besides blood.I was interested to see what my Midi Health provider would recommend for me and what I would learn from it. Related:
The first step after booking my appointment was meeting (virtually) with my Midi Health clinician. The appointment lasted about an hour—much longer than I typically meet with my primary care physician—and I did not feel rushed at all. My clinician, Dr. Kathleen Jordan, MD, (who is Midi Heath's chief medical officer) started by asking about my family history, diet and exercise habits. I am fortunate that cancer does not run in my family, but Dr. Jordan explained that even people with no family history of cancer still need to be proactive about their health. 'Most people who are diagnosed with breast cancerdo not have a family history of it,' she said, giving an example.Dr. Jordan asked me what my health goals were and what I was hoping to get out of the appointment. I told her that I considered myself a pretty health-conscious person, but wanted to see if there were ways I could be even more proactive about my health. I also shared that I was especially interested in brain health. Though I am relatively young (38), I want to do what I can to reduce the risk of dementia.Related: Based on my personal history and goals, Dr. Jordan ordered a customized lab test for me. She also prescribed me a blood glucose monitor, which she recommended I wear for a week. She explained that having stable blood sugar is important for both heart health and brain health, so it would be a good experiment to see how stable (or not) my blood sugar levels were.
Though Midi Health works with all the major insurance providers, I wanted to make sure that my lab work wasn't going to cost me a ton of money out-of-pocket before I got it done. When I called my insurance company and asked, they told me that all blood work for preventative health was 100% covered, meaning no out-of-pocket costs for me. While some other Midi Health patients may have to pay some out-of-pocket costs for their labs, the health platform is in-network with most PPO plans.Getting my bloodwork done should have been relatively straightforward, involving simply heading to an outpatient lab, getting my blood drawn and going home. Initially, the lab I went to wouldn't allow me to get my labs done because they saw that the request came from out of state. This ended up being a mistake on their end because though Midi Health is based in another state, my clinician is licensed in all 50 states. In the end, I was able to get my labs done no problem, so it was just a minor inconvenience.Related:
Next, I had to set up my continuous glucose monitor. After picking it up from the pharmacy, I had my partner apply it to my upper arm by pushing the sensor down. It was completely painless. I downloaded the app it's tied to, which allowed me to check my glucose levels at any time.
I often enjoy a glass of wine in the evening and something sweet for dessert, so I was expecting the continuous glucose monitor to show my glucose as too high after indulging; a warning to lay off the sugar. To my surprise, that didn't happen at all. Instead, the monitor's blaring alert went off several times a day and at night, signaling that my glucose levels were too low. I wasn't sure what this meant, so when it happened, I silenced the alert but made a note to ask Dr. Jordan about it at our follow-up appointment. The entire week I wore the continuous glucose monitor, my glucose levels edged to the very bottom of the graph, indicating what was normal. I didn't know what this meant and was interested to find out.
After all my bloodwork results came back and my week of wearing the continuous glucose monitor was over, I met with Dr. Jordan again to go over everything. First, I brought up the continuous glucose monitor readings. Even though my glucose dipped below what is considered normal on the graph, Dr. Jordan assured me that my results were good. 'The goal is for glucose to be below 180 mg/DL. The reason why the alarm goes off if it dips below 69 mg/DL is because that can be dangerous for people with diabetes, which is who typically wear the type of monitor you wore,' she explained. She told me that the fact that my glucose levels were low (they ranged from 68 mg/DL to 150 mg/DL), was an indicator of good cellular health.I was relieved to learn that all my labs came back optimal too. According to my biomarkers, I did not have high levels of inflammation, and my risk for cardiovascular disease is low.
But there were two nutrient levels Dr. Jordan said it could be better: vitamin D and a nutrient called ferritin, which I was unfamiliar with. 'Ferritin is a protein that stores iron and releases it when the body needs it,' Dr. Jordan explained. 'Your iron levels are okay, but your ferritin level is low, which shows that your body has low iron stores.' Even though my iron levels were okay, this still meant I needed more iron.We talked a bit about how my diet could be connected to my low ferritin. Dr. Jordan explained that while there are both animal- and plant-based sources of iron, heme iron (which is better absorbed in the body than non-heme iron) is only found in animal-based foods. Since I eat a primarily plant-based diet, this was likely the reason for my low ferritin. With this in mind, she recommended taking an iron supplement and said she could recommend one vetted by Midi Health's naturopathic doctors as one that's good quality and reported to be easy on the stomach (iron supplements can be constipating). Even though Midi Health offers supplement recommendations, they do not profit from the purchase. Considering that supplements are not regulated by the Food and Drug Administration and many are not safe or worth taking, I appreciated the unbiased recommendation.
As for the vitamin D deficiency, this is something I am consistently deficient in, according to the annual labs I get with my primary care provider. I have a vitamin D supplement collecting dust in my bathroom. This was my reminder to actually take it.The only other supplement Dr. Jordan recommended is creatine, a natural energy source that is linked to building strength and supporting brain health. She recommended this because of my interest in brain health. 'Since you are relatively young and don't have any risk factors for dementia, this is the only step I would recommend doing now—in addition to the other healthy habits you already have in place,' she said.
In general, I found the overall process with Midi Health and learning about my biomarkers to be helpful. It put my mind at ease knowing I am not at risk for any major chronic diseases and I learned some ways I could improve my health even more that were specific to my body. As personalized healthcare becomes more accessible—which Midi Health is advancing in a major way by working with insurance providers—people will have more information about what they can do to better their health. And that's empowering.
Up Next:Dr. Kathleen Jordan, MD, internal medicine doctor and Chief Medical Officer of Midi Health
Lifestyle as Medicine: The Case for a True Health Initiative.American Journal of Health Promotion. 2018
Promoting cancer early diagnosis. World Health Organization
Biomarker testing. National Cancer Institute
What a Family History of Breast Cancer Means and What You Can Do. Breast Cancer Research Foundation
Effect of Glucose Levels on Cardiovascular Risk.Cells. 2022
Glucose Levels and Risk of Dementia.The New England Journal of Medicine. 2014
Ferritin test. Mayo Clinic
Creatine. Cleveland Clinic
'I Tried Midi Health for Biomarker Testing—Here's What I Learned About My Health' first appeared on Parade on Jul 2, 2025
This story was originally reported by Parade on Jul 2, 2025, where it first appeared.
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