Brain Protection Panel
Add-on brain panel with ApoE genetic risk plus pTau-217, beta-amyloid 42/40, and GFAP markers for early Alzheimer's signal
Biomarkers
4 research-grade brain biomarkers (on top of the base 50+)
Collection
At-home
Physician reviewed
Yes
Membership
Required
About
The Brain Protection Panel is an add-on blood panel for Lifeforce members and one-time-diagnostic purchasers. It layers four research-grade brain biomarkers; ApoE (a one-time genetic test for late-onset Alzheimer's risk), pTau-217 (tau tangles), Beta-Amyloid 42/40 Ratio (amyloid plaques), and GFAP (brain injury and neuroinflammation); on top of the standard 50+ biomarker panel. Several of these markers only recently moved from research labs into consumer testing. Results are read against optimization-range targets via the Lifescore, then reviewed by a board-certified clinician during a telehealth consult; not shipped as a standalone report.
Results are interpreted by a board-certified Lifeforce clinician during the scheduled telehealth consult alongside the base biomarker panel; not delivered as a standalone report.
What to Know
Signature approach
The panel separates genetic risk from active disease signal. ApoE runs once and tells you your inherited risk for late-onset Alzheimer's. The three plasma markers; pTau-217, Beta-Amyloid 42/40 Ratio, and GFAP; are serial: they track whether tau tangles, amyloid plaques, or glial injury are actually measurable now, and how those numbers move across quarterly retests. A Lifeforce clinician reads all four in the context of the base panel, then builds a brain-health plan around what the biology is doing, not just what your genotype predicts.
What sets it apart
- Research-grade markers in a DTC bundle. Plasma pTau-217 and Beta-Amyloid 42/40 only recently left research labs for consumer availability; most DTC brain tests stop at ApoE genotyping.
- Genotype plus current-state signal. ApoE tells you inherited risk; the three serial markers show whether neurodegeneration is underway. Most standalone kits give you one half of that picture.
- Retest cadence built in. A separate follow-up SKU re-runs the three plasma markers quarterly without re-sequencing ApoE; tau, amyloid, and glial injury get tracked over time inside the ongoing care relationship.
- Interpreted by a clinician, not a report. Results flow into the Lifescore and a telehealth consult with a board-certified physician; no standalone PDF to decode.
Before You Order
- Add-on, not standalone. Buy this through Lifeforce membership or after the One-Time Diagnostic.
- Price is member-gated. Budget for the base Lifeforce product first, then confirm add-on pricing in checkout or during the consult.
- Early-signal panel. These markers can inform risk discussion; they do not diagnose Alzheimer's disease on their own.
What's tested
Panel focus
What's included
Biomarker categories
Alzheimer's genetic risk (one-time)
1 markerPlasma neurodegeneration markers (serial)
3 markersWhat’s not included
This panel is a deeper layer on top of; not a replacement for; the standard biomarkers already covered by the Lifeforce base diagnostic (inflammation, metabolic, organ health). It is not sold as a standalone DTC kit. ApoE genotyping is run once; subsequent retests drop ApoE and re-run only the three plasma markers (pTau-217, Beta-Amyloid 42/40, GFAP) via the follow-up SKU.
Reference ranges methodology
Results are read against optimization-range targets rather than abnormal/normal cutoffs and rolled into the Lifeforce Lifescore (1–100 index) alongside the base panel. Specific clinical cutoffs for plasma pTau-217 and Beta-Amyloid 42/40 aren't published on the product page.
Pricing
In practiceReal-world pricing notes, add-ons, and coverage limits.
The Brain Protection Panel is an add-on for Lifeforce Members and one-time diagnostic purchasers; list price is gated behind member checkout. A non-member can't buy this panel in isolation; it layers on top of a Lifeforce membership (from $149/mo ongoing, $599/yr Annual Core, $1,449/yr Annual Full) or the one-time diagnostic ($599 list, $349 Ethos promo). The ApoE genotype is run once; the three plasma markers (pTau-217, Beta-Amyloid 42/40, GFAP) run on the quarterly retest cadence via a separate follow-up SKU. Self-pay only; no insurance. HSA/FSA eligible at the membership level.
How it works
- 1
At-home blood draw
A licensed phlebotomist visits your home to collect the base 50+ biomarker draw plus the four brain markers. ApoE genotyping runs once; the three plasma markers run on each retest.
- 2
Lifescore + clinician review
Results flow into the Lifeforce dashboard and into the proprietary Lifescore. A board-certified Lifeforce clinician analyzes the brain panel in context with the full biomarker picture.
- 3
Telehealth consult
You meet virtually with your clinician to review the brain results alongside the rest of the panel. Output is a personalized plan; supplements, prescription medications where indicated, nutrition, and lifestyle strategies aimed at measurable brain-health targets.
- 4
Retest on cadence
Retest every three months on the standard Lifeforce cadence; the follow-up SKU re-runs pTau-217, Beta-Amyloid 42/40, and GFAP without repeating the one-time ApoE genotype. A Health Coach supports execution between consults.
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