By the time men hit 50, their bodies have carried them through a few decades of late nights, stressful jobs, and maybe more cheeseburgers than they'd like to admit.
But here's the thing: a lot of the biggest health threats to men in their 50s don't announce themselves with flashing warning signs. They're quiet. Sneaky. Sometimes, deadly.
Heart disease is still the leading cause of death for men in the U.S., with risk climbing sharply after 45.
Diabetes affects more than 37 million Americans, and nearly one in four adults over 65 has it, many without knowing.
Prostate cancer? It's the second most common cancer in men, with screening starting at 50 for most. .
And let's not even get started on "silent killers" like high blood pressure or early kidney disease, which can fly under the radar until they cause real damage.
The good news?
Functional medicine practitioners know better than to wait for red flags.
Subtle thyroid sluggishness, quiet inflammation, or hormone drift can brew long before disease sets in.
The fix isn’t more annual physicals with the same three markers. It’s smarter testing.
Three diagnostic pillars, if done yearly, may catch these issues early, before they turn into something life-changing: thyroid, inflammation, and hormones.
Routine lab testing might feel simple, but it plays a key role in maintaining long-term health and function.
Below, we'll break down the must-do lab tests for men over 50, plus a few extra screenings worth considering.
Access Medical Labs offers a comprehensive testing from cholesterol panels to PSA screenings, all in one place. No guesswork, no waiting weeks for lab results. Explore lab testing with Access Medical Labs and discover how 24-hour insights can reshape patient experience.
Key Takeaways
- Functional testing provides physicians with a more comprehensive view of early thyroid, inflammatory, and hormonal changes before they become a larger problem.
- Inflammatory markers like CRP hs, homocysteine, and ferritin reveal subtle cardiovascular and metabolic stress that standard lipid panels may miss.
- Hormonal assessments for testosterone, DHEA, cortisol, and estradiol help identify imbalances that can impact energy, cognition, and mood in aging men.
- Annual comprehensive testing enables a proactive, data-driven approach to men’s health, helping clinicians optimize long-term performance and quality of life.
Here's what you'll find in this article:
- Complete Blood Count (CBC)
- Cholesterol and Triglycerides
- Diabetes Screening
- Fasting Glucose and A1C
- Hepatitis B and C
- Comprehensive Metabolic Panel (CMP)
- Vitamin D
- Colorectal Cancer Screening
- Lung Cancer Screening
- Osteoporosis Screening
Thyroid
Thyroid hormones regulate energy, metabolism, and mood. Changes in thyroid function become more common with age, but the symptoms may resemble everyday fatigue.
TSH (thyroid-stimulating hormone) is just one signal from the brain, not the thyroid itself.
To really see what’s going on, doctors may look at a fuller panel that includes hormones like T3 and T4, along with thyroid antibodies.
A complete thyroid panel provides a broader, more accurate picture of how the thyroid affects mood, metabolism, and energy.
International best-selling author, Founder, and CEO of The Wellness Way, Dr. Patrick Flynn, describes how the thyroid affects overall health stating, “You always have to look at the body like a Swiss watch. All these gears work together; they are not independent.”
When thyroid signaling starts misfiring, patients feel it everywhere, fatigue, brain fog, slow recovery, stubborn weight.
Yet conventional panels still stop at TSH, as if that one number tells the full story.
Watch Dr. Flynn explain why the current medical environment often stops short with incomplete thyroid testing, and how a broader panel including T3, T4, and thyroid antibodies can reveal the bigger picture.
Functional testing reveals the underlying biological patterns affecting your patients’ health.
1. TSH (Thyroid-Stimulating Hormone)
TSH is the brain’s broadcast signal to the thyroid, but it’s not the full broadcast.
Slight elevations may precede true hypothyroidism, especially if Free T3 or T4 are already dipping. The trend line matters more than the absolute value.
2. Free T3 and Free T4
Free T3 = power output. Free T4 = potential energy.
Low Free T3 with “normal” T4 is the classic conversion slowdown your patients describe as “tired but wired.”
3. Reverse T3 (rT3)
rT3 slows metabolism and energy conversion when the body is under chronic stress or nutritional strain.
Chronic stress, infection, or under-eating can drive T4 toward rT3 instead of active T3, tanking metabolic rate.
Get the full picture of your patient’s thyroid health. A complete hormone panel goes beyond TSH to include T3, T4, and thyroid antibodies, giving your patients more context about energy, mood, and metabolism. Explore our Hormone Panels to support the next steps in your patient’s care.
Inflammation
After 50, hormonal patterns often fluctuate, with noticeable shifts in testosterone, cortisol, and DHEA.
Maybe not enough to spike a fever, but enough to nudge cholesterol, stiffen arteries, and exhaust mitochondria.
4. High-Sensitivity CRP (hsCRP)
Your sneak peek into micro-inflammation. Even slight upticks can forecast cardiovascular and endothelial risk years before physical symptoms become apparent.
5. Homocysteine
When methylation stalls, homocysteine rises, a red flag for oxidative stress, vascular damage, and poor B-vitamin status.
If your patient’s A1C looks fine but they still feel “off,” this marker might explain why.
6. Ferritin
Ferritin gets mislabeled as just an iron storage marker. In reality, it’s an inflammatory marker in disguise.
High ferritin without anemia? Think of oxidative load, not storage.
Hormones
Prostate cancer is the second most common cancer in men, and risk rises sharply after age 50.
After 50, hormonal rhythm doesn’t just drift. It starts to improvise.
Testosterone declines, cortisol first rises and then drops, DHEA levels flatten, and estradiol becomes unbalanced. Traditional lab ranges can miss these interconnected hormonal changes, while functional testing identifies the underlying pattern.
7. Testosterone (Total and Free)
Low testosterone doesn’t just mean libido changes. It’s muscle loss, low drive, and mental fatigue. Free testosterone often declines first, signaling early hormonal imbalance.
8. DHEA-S
DHEA-S levels reflect how well the body adapts to ongoing physical and emotional stress. Low levels show the adrenal system is tired of playing cleanup for chronic stress, poor sleep, and inflammation.
9. Cortisol
When cortisol’s rhythm goes flat, so does everything else, motivation, energy, repair. Testing cortisol alongside DHEA-S may offer a read on HPA axis flexibility.
10. Estradiol (E2)
In men, E2 matters more than most give credit for. Too low and they may experience joint pain, low libido, and poor bone density. Too high and they might be in danger of metabolic slowdown territory.
11. Prostate-Specific Antigen (PSA)
Prostate cancer is the second most common cancer in men, and risk rises sharply after age 50.
The PSA test measures a protein made by the prostate gland. It's a key part of prostate health discussions.
PSA testing is about having more information on the table, not about making immediate conclusions.
Don’t Skip the Traditional Lab Tests
12. Complete Blood Count (CBC)
A CBC is one of the most commonly ordered lab tests because it provides a snapshot of your blood health. It checks red and white blood cells, hemoglobin, and platelets.
13. Cholesterol and Triglycerides
High cholesterol doesn't come with warning lights. Yet, it's one of the leading drivers of heart disease in men over 50.
According to the CDC, 16.5% of men ages 40–59 had high total cholesterol.
But here’s where things get more complex: Harvard Health reports that about half of all heart attack patients have normal cholesterol levels. This highlights that cholesterol alone isn’t the whole story; other factors like inflammation and blood clotting may also play a role.
As Dr. Mitch, Ghen, Director of Physician Consultations at Access Labs, puts it, “Half of all heart attack victims have normal cholesterol. If cholesterol was the main cause, that wouldn’t be possible.”
Dr. Mitch Ghen breaks down why cholesterol alone doesn’t tell the whole story, and which overlooked tests may provide added insight.
Stay ahead of heart health. A cardio blood test offers insights into cholesterol, triglycerides, and other key markers linked with cardiovascular risk. Explore our Cardio Pro Blood Test Explore our Cardio Blood Test and give your patient the information they need to support smarter decisions.
14. Diabetes Screening
Diabetes becomes more common with as we age and men in their 50s and 60s are at higher risk.
The National Institute on Aging reports that about one in four adults over 65 has diabetes, often without symptoms.
Early detection through these tests can assist in managing health conditions and reducing the risk of complications like nerve damage, kidney failure, or heart disease.
15. Fasting Glucose Test and A1C
The fasting glucose test measures your patient’s blood sugar after not eating, while the A1C looks at average blood sugar over three months. Together, these tests may reveal patterns.
16. Hepatitis B and C
Hepatitis B and C can stay dormant for years but lead to severe liver damage if untreated.
In 2022, about 65% of newly reported chronic hepatitis C cases occurred in men. Many men in the 50–70 age range with HCV have had the infection for decades.
One study noted U.S. adults aged 50–70 have lived with HCV infection for about 25–45 years.
Because these viruses can be silent for a long time, screening men over 50 is especially important. Early detection allows intervention before progression to serious outcomes such as cirrhosis or liver cancer.
The Overlooked Screenings Men 50+ Should Know About
17. Comprehensive Metabolic Panel (CMP)
A CMP evaluates liver, kidney, and metabolic health in one comprehensive test. A CMP looks at liver and kidney function, electrolyte balance, and blood sugar.
Just as one test can’t assess all systems, a CMP provides multiple data points to detect early imbalances.
A CMP can provide valuable insights into liver, kidney, and metabolic health. Order our Wellness Basic Panel to establish a functional baseline across metabolic, hepatic, and renal systems for your male patients.
18. Vitamin D
Vitamin D deficiency is widespread among older adults.
Studies show low vitamin D is linked with bone loss, muscle weakness, and higher mortality risk.
Vitamin D is often called the “sunshine vitamin,” but testing is the only way to know whether your body is getting enough.
19. Colorectal Cancer Screening
The CDC recommends colorectal cancer screening for adults 45–75. Methods include stool-based tests, colonoscopy, or sigmoidoscopy.
20. Lung Cancer Screening
Men with a history of heavy smoking may be advised to begin annual low-dose CT scans at age 50. Early detection is associated with a greater range of treatment options.
21. Osteoporosis Screening
Although often linked with women, about 1 in 10 men over 50 may experience fractures related to bone loss. A DEXA scan measures bone density.
Prevention Can Start with the Practitioner
For men over 50, this stage is an opportunity to prioritize proactive health and wellness.
Yearly blood tests and screenings won’t stop time, but they can provide data to optimize metabolic performance, cardiovascular health, longevity and vitality.
Access Medical Labs makes it simple to order the lab tests for your patients, with fast results you can trust. Explore our panels to streamline patient testing and interpretation.
Disclaimer: Content on the Access Labs blog is for informational purposes only and reflects the views of individual contributors, not necessarily those of Access Medical Labs. We do not endorse specific treatments, products, or protocols. This content is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the guidance of a qualified healthcare provider with any questions you may have regarding your health, lab results, or medical conditions. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay seeking it because of something you have read here.
About Access:
Access is the nation’s premier specialty diagnostic lab. We offer a broad menu of testing from blood, saliva, urine & swab samples. We perform all of your tests in our 25,000 sq. ft. ultra-automated facility in Jupiter, Florida & provide results within 24hrs. Since 2003, we continuously strive to innovate, inspire, and improve solutions for physicians by providing an exceptional personalized experience with the most accurate testing.
Feel free to contact our specialist to find out more about prices and services. We are always ready to answer your questions: sales@accessmedlab.com
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