Men’s health is reflected in seventeen values
ca. 18 Minuten
The key points at a glance
A panel isn’t a hodgepodge. The seventeen values in the Men’s Wellness Check are arranged in six groups, each answering a different question.
Once you understand this, you read results differently: not line by line, but by group. According to IQWiG, a single value is always just one component.
You’ll read the cited source verbatim, three verified details, three common statements fact-checked, a comparison of the six groups, and what even seventeen values leave unanswered.
What to expect in this article
1. What distinguishes a panel from a list of values
2. The verified source
3. The seventeen values at a glance
4. Three verified details
5. Why the values are grouped
6. Three statements fact-checked
7. What each group answers
8. The key point in one sentence
9. What is lipoprotein(a)?
10. Comparing the groups
11. What seventeen values can’t do
12. Who can benefit from a panel
13. The Men’s Wellness Check in detail
14. Limits: what even a panel leaves unanswered
15. What matters in a panel
Frequently asked questions
Sources
What distinguishes a panel from a list of values
A list of values is an enumeration. A panel is a selection with a rationale behind it.
The difference becomes clear as soon as you have a set of results in front of you. Read line by line, and you look for deviations and end up with seventeen separate judgments. Read by group, and you have six questions, each with an answer.
That’s exactly how the Men’s Wellness Check from mybody®x (MYBODY Lab GmbH) is structured. The product page itself organizes the seventeen values into six groups, and that organization is the real focus of this article.
What this article doesn’t do: tell any man which values he should have measured. That question belongs in a medical practice that knows his history. What it does do is explain how an existing panel is put together.
The verified source
The sentence that underpins the entire logic of panels is not in a product description, but at IQWiG.
Verified source
“It must always be considered together with other values, symptoms, and findings from other examinations.”
Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care
Understanding laboratory values, as of 02.04.2025
The preceding sentence from IQWiG reads: A single laboratory value is always just one component of an overall diagnosis (as of 02.04.2025). Read together, the two sentences explain the rationale behind every panel.
But they also set out the limits. Alongside other values, the sentence explicitly mentions symptoms and findings from other examinations. No panel can provide either, no matter how many values it includes.
So a panel is one half of the sentence. The other half comes from a conversation with a medical practice, and without it, the findings remain incomplete.
The seventeen values at a glance
The product page lists the values in six groups. We reproduce them here as shown there, without rearranging them.
Hormones: testosterone, cortisol, and TSH. Heart and lipid metabolism: total cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, triglycerides, lipoprotein(a), and homocysteine.
Liver and kidneys: Gamma-GT, GPT, and Cystatin C. Metabolism and inflammation: long-term blood sugar HbA1c and CRP.
Vitamins and iron: 25-OH vitamin D3 and ferritin. Preventive care: prostate-specific antigen, or PSA.
Added together, that makes three plus six plus three plus two plus two plus one, or seventeen. The number in this article’s title can therefore be verified and is not an advertising claim.
Three documented facts
Three facts from the sources reviewed. They provide context and do not constitute a diagnosis.
Documented facts
17 values
According to the product page, the Men’s Wellness Check lists values in six groups (mybody®x, accessed 19.08.2026)
5 blood values
The health check-up guideline lists, from age 35: the lipid profile and fasting plasma glucose (G-BA, in force since 12.02.2021)
9–140 µg/l
IQWiG lists as the ferritin reference range for women over 18, and 18–360 µg/l for men over 18 (as of 20.03.2025)
The third figure is included here for a specific reason. It shows that the same value is read against different ranges for men and women, and that is exactly why separate panels exist.
Why the values are grouped
The grouping is not cosmetic. It reflects that several values answer a question together, but not individually.
This is clearest with lipid metabolism. Total cholesterol alone says little, because it can conceal very different distributions of HDL, LDL, and triglycerides. Only all four together provide a picture.
It is similar with the liver and kidneys. Gamma-GT and GPT relate to the liver and respond to different triggers; Cystatin C relates to kidney function. They are grouped together because, together, they cover the area in which the body processes and excretes substances.
And for hormones, the grouping is even a warning. Testosterone, cortisol, and TSH affect one another, and none of the three can be meaningfully interpreted without the other two.
What the grouping does not mean
Grouping does not mean that an abnormal group indicates a disease. IQWiG notes: An abnormal lab result alone does not allow you to conclude that you have a disease, and there are often harmless reasons for it (as of 02.04.2025).
It also does not mean that the groups are equally important. Which group matters in a particular situation depends on the question someone comes with, not on the order on the page.
After all, it does not mean that the groups are complete. Each could be expanded with additional values, and every selection is a selection.
Three statements in a fact check
These three statements come up whenever a men’s panel is discussed.
Checked against the evidence
Common
“Seventeen values tell you more than five.”
Supported by evidence
More values mean more rows, not more information. IQWiG notes that a laboratory value must always be considered alongside symptoms and findings from other examinations (as of 02.04.2025). A panel provides none of those other examinations.
Common
“This is a substitute for a check-up.”
Supported by evidence
In addition to laboratory values, a health check-up includes a medical history, physical examination, blood pressure measurement, and a medical consultation. Its purpose is the early detection of diseases that are significant for public health (G-BA, effective 12.02.2021). A panel does none of that.
Common
“Men’s and women’s values are the same.”
Supported by evidence
Several reference ranges are divided by sex. For hemoglobin, IQWiG lists 13.5 to 17.8 g/dl for men over 18 and 11.5 to 16.0 g/dl for women over 18 (as of 20.03.2025).
What each group answers
Each of the six groups can be traced back to one question. These questions are what the panel is really about.
The hormone group asks about the interplay of three regulatory systems. Testosterone, cortisol, and TSH have in common that they can fluctuate depending on the time of day, and that their values are comparable only under similar conditions.
The heart and lipid metabolism group asks how the body transports fats and how an intermediate metabolite called homocysteine fits in. With six values, this is the largest group in the panel.
The liver and kidney group asks about the organs that transform and excrete substances. Cystatin C is the value that assesses kidney function independently of muscle mass.
The metabolism and inflammation group asks about two time frames at once: HbA1c reflects a longer period, while CRP reflects a very short one. Reading both in one group means placing two different clocks side by side.
The vitamins and iron group asks about two values that are often discussed among the general public. The preventive screening group consists of a single value, PSA, making it the smallest and most sensitive group.
The core idea in one sentence
At this point, we can bring the topic together.
A panel answers six questions, not seventeen. The results are grouped because they say less on their own than they do together.
This sentence has a practical implication for reading a test report. Picking out a single line and evaluating it is precisely what the cited source warns against.
It also has an implication for expectations. Six answers are six answers, not an overall statement about health. A test report cannot provide one, no matter how long it is.
What is Lipoprotein(a)?
Lipoprotein(a), or Lp(a), is a lipid-protein particle that resembles LDL and, like LDL, carries cholesterol in the blood. According to a consensus statement by the European Atherosclerosis Society, more than 90 percent of its level is determined by genetics (Kronenberg et al., 2022).
HDL and LDL already appear as separate lines in the panel, and Lp(a) adds information that an LDL result alone does not show. A standard cholesterol test can show normal LDL cholesterol even though a large proportion of it is in Lp(a) particles (paraphrased from MedlinePlus, 2025). An elevated Lp(a) level is considered a risk factor for cardiovascular disease, even when LDL cholesterol is very low (Kronenberg et al., 2022). The expert panel recommends measuring Lp(a) in adults at least once (Kronenberg et al., 2022).
Diet and exercise do little to change the level itself. The consensus describes the influence of lifestyle as minimal (Kronenberg et al., 2022), and according to MedlinePlus (2025), the level may remain unchanged with a different diet and more exercise because it is controlled by genes. That is why, when the level is high, attention shifts to the other risk factors, which are worth discussing with your doctor.
The article above explains how to interpret an individual result: what a Lipoprotein(a) result means. Your own test report is always the basis for interpretation.
The groups compared
The table compares which questions each group addresses and the time frame involved. It provides context and does not make a diagnosis.
| Group | Values according to the product page | The question behind it | What to bear in mind |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hormones | Testosterone, cortisol, TSH | How do three regulatory systems relate to one another? | The time of day and testing conditions affect the results; the product page does not specify any requirements |
| Heart and lipid metabolism | Total cholesterol, HDL, LDL, triglycerides, lipoprotein(a), homocysteine | How does the body transport fats? | The lipid values only give a complete picture when considered together; lipoprotein(a) is largely determined by heredity (Kronenberg et al., 2022) |
| Liver and kidneys | Gamma-GT, GPT, cystatin C | How do metabolism and excretion work? | Cystatin C assesses kidney function independently of muscle mass |
| Metabolism and inflammation | HbA1c, CRP | What does a long-term measure show, and what does a short-term one show? | HbA1c levels reflect glucose control over the past 3 months (MSD Manual, as of December 2025) |
| Vitamins and iron | 25-OH vitamin D3, ferritin | How do two much-discussed values look? | The ferritin reference range depends on sex: men over 18 years of age, 18–360 µg/l (IQWiG, as of 20.03.2025) |
| Screening | PSA | How does a single screening value look? | The panel’s most sensitive value; it should only be interpreted in a doctor’s office |
The last line deserves special attention. A PSA result is not something to interpret on your own at home, and the question of what to do next can only be answered in a doctor’s office.
The first line is the second thing to note. For hormones, the time of day and the circumstances of the sample matter. The product page provides no information about this, so anyone using the test should follow the instructions provided.
What seventeen values can’t do
The number seventeen sounds like completeness. It isn’t.
It does not include a blood count, meaning a count of the blood cells. It does not include vitamin B12 or folic acid. It does not include the minerals magnesium, calcium, zinc or selenium. It does not include fT3 or fT4 alongside TSH.
This list is not a criticism, but a description. Every panel makes a selection, and once you know what it includes, that selection is clear.
What’s still missing is the second part of the IQWiG statement: symptoms and findings from other examinations. Neither appears on a lab report, and both are part of the overall assessment.
How it differs from the women’s panel
A comparison makes the options clear. According to its product page, the Women’s Wellness Check includes 18 values and is put together differently.
Alongside TSH, it includes fT3 and fT4, as well as prolactin, SHBG and vitamin B12. It does not include testosterone, homocysteine or PSA.
So the difference is not a matter of more or less, but of being different. The two panels address different questions, and each leaves something open that the other includes.
Who might benefit from a panel
The comparison relates to whether a panel put together for you adds anything in your situation.
Makes sense for you if …
You’re taking advantage of your entitlement to a health checkup and want to document several groups in addition to that.
You want to bring dated numbers and lab results to a conversation at your doctor’s office.
You understand how the groups work and won’t read a result line by line.
You know that a PSA value can only be interpreted at a doctor’s office, and you plan to do that.
Probably not, if …
You have symptoms. In that case, you need a medical evaluation at a doctor’s office.
You want to use it to replace a health checkup. You can’t, and that’s not what it’s intended for.
You have a specific question about exactly one value. In that case, a panel is a detour.
You are already undergoing an evaluation. In that case, the practice that started it should handle it.
The Men’s Wellness Check in detail
A capillary blood self-test does not provide a diagnosis or replace a medical evaluation. What it does provide is documented values with a date from a laboratory.
The following information is from the product page, retrieved on 22.10.2026.
Capillary blood test
Men’s Wellness Check | Men’s health test
Measures 17 values from the same sample across six groups: testosterone, cortisol, TSH, total cholesterol, HDL, LDL, triglycerides, lipoprotein(a), homocysteine, gamma-GT, GPT, cystatin C, HbA1c, CRP, 25-OH vitamin D3, ferritin, and PSA. What the test does not do: It neither replaces a health checkup nor a medical evaluation, and it does not include a complete blood count, vitamin B12, minerals, or fT3 or fT4. It does not provide a diagnosis.
Lab analysis 3–5 business days after sample receipt
Product page information, retrieved 19.08.2026
Chapter at a glance
The panel lists 17 values in six groups and therefore answers six questions, not seventeen. It does not replace a health check or a medical evaluation, and it includes neither a blood count nor minerals. The PSA value must be interpreted by a doctor.
Limitations: what even a panel leaves unanswered
The first limitation is stated in the cited source. A laboratory value must always be considered together with symptoms and findings from other examinations (IQWiG, as of 02.04.2025). A panel does not provide these findings.
The second limitation is substitution. A health check includes a medical history, physical examination and blood pressure measurement, and its purpose is the early detection of diseases significant to public health (G-BA, in force 12.02.2021).
The third limitation is the unit. Test results report Lp(a) in mg/dl or nmol/l, and the European Atherosclerosis Society consensus does not recommend a fixed conversion between the two because the measurement methods differ considerably (Kronenberg et al., 2022). The unit on your own test result is the one that matters.
The fourth limitation concerns hormones. Their values depend on the time of day and the conditions under which the sample is taken, and the product page gives no guidance on this. Anyone using the test should follow the enclosed instructions.
The fifth limitation is diagnosis. All the interpretations in this article provide context and are not diagnoses. A diagnosis is made in a doctor’s office based on several factors, and no self-test can make one in advance.
What matters in a panel
If you take away just one thing from this article, let it be this: Read test results by group, not line by line.
The seventeen values in the Men’s Wellness Check are organized into six groups, each of which answers a different question. Four lipid values together provide an overall picture, three hormone values influence one another, and the HbA1c value reflects a different time period than CRP.
And the statement that underpins everything comes from IQWiG: A laboratory value must always be considered together with other values, symptoms and findings from other examinations (as of 02.04.2025). A panel provides neither symptoms nor findings from other examinations, so every result ends with a conversation.
Frequently asked questions
Which seventeen values are included in the Men’s Wellness Check?
According to the product page (accessed 22.10.2026), the tests are testosterone, cortisol and TSH; total cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, triglycerides, lipoprotein(a) and homocysteine; gamma-GT, GPT and cystatin C; HbA1c and CRP; 25-OH vitamin D3 and ferritin; and prostate-specific antigen (PSA).
What is lipoprotein(a) in the Men’s Wellness Check?
This refers to lipoprotein(a), or Lp(a) for short, an LDL-like lipoprotein whose level is more than 90 percent genetically determined (Kronenberg et al., 2022). The value appears as a separate entry in the panel alongside HDL and LDL. The European Atherosclerosis Society consensus recommends measuring Lp(a) in adults at least once (Kronenberg et al., 2022).
Does the panel replace the check-up from age 35?
No. In addition to lab tests, a health check-up includes a medical history, physical examination, blood pressure measurement, recording of vaccination status, and a medical consultation. Its purpose is the early detection of diseases of public health significance (G-BA, in force 12.02.2021). A panel does none of this and does not replace the entitlement.
How does the men's panel differ from the women's panel?
It is neither more nor less, but arranged differently. According to the product page, the Women’s Wellness Check measures 18 values, including fT3, fT4, prolactin, SHBG, and vitamin B12, but neither testosterone nor homocysteine nor PSA. Each panel leaves out something that the other includes.
Can I interpret a PSA level myself?
No. PSA is the panel's most sensitive value, and what follows from it can only be addressed in a doctor's office. In general, an abnormal lab result alone does not indicate a disease, and there are often harmless reasons for it (IQWiG, as of 02.04.2025).
Next step
Six groups from one sample
The Men’s Wellness Check measures 17 values from capillary blood across six groups. It neither replaces a health check-up nor a medical evaluation, and does not provide a diagnosis. PSA levels should be interpreted by a doctor.
Get the Men’s Wellness CheckRead more
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Sources
- Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care (IQWiG): Understanding laboratory results correctly, as of 02.04.2025 – gesundheitsinformation.de
- IQWiG: Ferritin, as of 20.03.2025 – gesundheitsinformation.de
- IQWiG: Hemoglobin, as of 20.03.2025 – gesundheitsinformation.de
- Federal Joint Committee (G-BA): Directive on health check-ups for the early detection of diseases, entered into force on 12.02.2021 – g-ba.de
- MSD Manual, Professional Edition: Diabetes mellitus, Brutsaert EF (as of December 2025) – msdmanuals.com
- Kronenberg et al.: Lipoprotein(a) in atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease and aortic stenosis: a European Atherosclerosis Society consensus statement. European Heart Journal 2022 – europepmc.org
- MedlinePlus, National Library of Medicine: Lipoprotein (a) Blood Test, as of 13.03.2025 – medlineplus.gov
The verbatim quote about considering values, symptoms, and findings together, the sentence describing a component of an overall diagnosis, the note that abnormal values can have harmless causes, and the explanation of the reference range come from source [1]. The ferritin reference ranges come from [2], and the hemoglobin reference ranges from [3]. The scope of services and purpose of the health check come from [4]. The information about the three-month period for HbA1c comes from [5]. The information about lipoprotein(a) comes from [6] and [7], accessed on 20.10.2026. The list of seventeen values, their grouping, the lists of values for both Wellness Checks, and information about price, sample type, and laboratory come from the mybody®x product pages, accessed on 19.08.2026; processing times follow the central specification for blood tests. The name lipoprotein(a) and the price were checked on 22.10.2026. Sources [1] to [5] were accessed and checked on 19.08.2026.
mybody®x Editorial & Specialist Team
Laboratory diagnostics Blood test interpretation Nutritional science Nutrigenetics
This article was created by the mybody®x editorial and specialist team. The team brings together laboratory diagnostics, nutritional science, and the interpretation of blood tests. Find out who contributes on the authors page.
Published on 19.08.2026 · Last updated on 22.10.2026
The information is for general purposes and is not a substitute for medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Our products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent diseases. Reference ranges depend on the laboratory, method, and age - the information on your test report is always decisive.
