Clinical Guide · 2026
What a Longevity Doctor Does
The workup, the testing and the plan a longevity physician provides — and why an annual physical was never designed to do it.
TL;DR — The Quick Answer
A longevity doctor is a physician who works to extend your healthspan — the years lived without chronic disease or loss of function — by finding risk decades before it becomes a diagnosis. The visit is built around a 100 to 200-plus biomarker panel, biological age and body-composition testing, early cardiovascular and cancer detection, and hormone and metabolic optimization, followed by a written plan that is monitored and adjusted. Dr. Luke Sorrell, a board-certified internist and Fellow of the American College of Physicians, provides this entirely by telemedicine to patients across the United States, from $375 a month.
What a Longevity Doctor Actually Does
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Measures 100 to 200-plus biomarkers, not a dozen
An annual physical checks a basic metabolic panel, a blood count, a lipid panel and TSH. A longevity workup adds ApoB and Lp(a), hs-CRP and homocysteine, fasting insulin and HOMA-IR, a complete thyroid and sex-hormone panel, micronutrients, an omega-3 index, kidney and liver detail, and a polygenic risk score for coronary disease. Most of the risk that ends lives early is visible on that panel ten to twenty years before symptoms.
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Finds cardiovascular disease and cancer early
Heart disease and cancer account for most premature deaths, and both are far more treatable when found early. The physician orders a coronary artery calcium score or coronary CT angiography to see actual plaque, and uses multi-cancer early detection blood testing alongside age-appropriate screening rather than waiting for symptoms.
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Tracks biological age, body composition and fitness
Epigenetic biological-age testing, DEXA body composition, grip strength and VO2 max are measured because they predict lifespan better than chronological age or BMI do. They also make progress visible: a plan that raises VO2 max and lean mass is a plan that is working.
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Optimizes hormones, metabolism and the gut
Declining testosterone, perimenopause, insulin resistance and a disrupted microbiome each accelerate aging and are each treatable. Hormone therapy, peptides, GLP-1 medications and targeted supplements are prescribed when the labs and the person justify them, with the response monitored by repeat testing. The aim is to slow the aging process where it is measurable and to protect quality of life, not to chase an anti-aging label.
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Writes a plan, then measures whether it worked
Every intervention in the personalized care plan has a target and a retest date. Labs are repeated at set intervals, the plan is adjusted, and the patient can message the physician directly between visits. The difference from a wellness program is that the plan is medical, monitored and accountable to numbers — advanced diagnostics in service of optimal health, not a supplement list.
Annual Physical vs. Longevity Medicine
| Dimension | Annual Physical | Longevity Medicine (Sorrell MD) |
|---|---|---|
| Goal | Detect and treat disease that is already present | Find and reverse risk before disease develops |
| Biomarkers measured | About 20 | 100 to 200-plus, twice a year |
| Cardiovascular assessment | Lipid panel and blood pressure | ApoB, Lp(a), hs-CRP, insulin resistance, calcium score or CT angiography |
| Cancer screening | Age-based colonoscopy and mammography | Age-based screening plus multi-cancer early detection blood testing |
| Aging metrics | None | Biological age, DEXA body composition, VO2 max, grip strength |
| Hormones | TSH only; treated when clearly abnormal | Full panel; optimized to symptoms and evidence |
| Appointment length | 15–20 minutes, once a year | 60-plus minutes initially, then monthly, with unlimited messaging |
| Where | In person | Telemedicine nationwide; labs and imaging near you |
Do You Need One Near You?
Almost nothing in this kind of medical practice requires a physical exam room. History, lab interpretation, imaging review, prescribing, protocol adjustment and coaching all happen in conversation, which is why the specialty works so well by video. Blood is drawn at a Quest, LabCorp or hospital lab near your home; a calcium score or DEXA is booked at a local imaging center; results come straight to the practice.
Sorrell MD is a telemedicine practice serving patients across the United States. Dr. Sorrell sees every patient personally — there is no handoff to a physician assistant or health coach — and the practice is based in Southlake, Texas for anyone who prefers an in-person visit by appointment. See how it works.
What It Costs
| Option | Price | Includes |
|---|---|---|
| Longevity Program | $7,500/year, paid upfront | Monthly appointments, unlimited messaging, Function Health labs twice yearly, annual gut microbiome, mitochondrial, biological-age and multi-cancer screening tests — over $3,000 of testing included |
| Longevity Program à la carte | $375/month | The same physician access — monthly appointments, unlimited messaging, supplement, peptide, hormone and prescription optimization — with testing chosen as needed |
| Chat-based care | From $50 | Message Dr. Sorrell directly for a focused question; first message free |
Memberships are not billed to insurance; HSA and FSA cards are accepted. Many labs are insurance-covered with a clinical indication, and prescriptions go through your pharmacy as usual.
Signs This Is Worth It for You
- A parent or sibling had a heart attack, stroke, cancer or dementia early, and you want to know your own risk rather than wait for it
- Your labs are “normal” every year, but your energy, sleep, weight or mood say otherwise
- You are in your late thirties to sixties and would rather invest in prevention now than in treatment later
- You want hormone, GLP-1 or peptide therapy managed by a physician who measures the outcome, not a subscription clinic
- You have read the longevity research and want a physician who can apply it to your numbers, not a generic protocol
- You want one doctor who sees the whole picture instead of a different specialist for each organ
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a longevity doctor?
A longevity doctor is a physician whose medical practice is organized around extending healthspan — the years you live without chronic disease or loss of function — rather than treating illness after it appears. In practice that means a far larger diagnostic panel than an annual physical, early detection of cardiovascular, metabolic and cancer risk, hormone and body-composition optimization, and a written, monitored plan. At Sorrell MD that physician is a board-certified internist, so the full scope of medical diagnostics and prescriptions is available, not a wellness subset.
What does a longevity doctor test for?
A first workup typically measures 100 to 200-plus biomarkers: a full lipid and lipoprotein panel including ApoB and Lp(a), inflammatory markers such as hs-CRP, fasting insulin and HOMA-IR, HbA1c, complete thyroid and sex-hormone panels, kidney and liver function, micronutrients, and an omega-3 index. Depending on age and history it adds a coronary calcium score or CT angiography, DEXA body composition, VO2 max, a gut microbiome analysis, epigenetic biological-age testing, and multi-cancer early detection screening.
How is a longevity doctor different from a functional medicine practitioner?
The overlap is the interest in root causes and prevention. The difference is training and scope. Functional medicine is a certification that practitioners from many backgrounds can hold, including non-physicians. A longevity doctor at Sorrell MD is a board-certified internal medicine physician who can order any test, interpret imaging, prescribe hormones, peptides and standard medications, and manage complex medical conditions, while still using the same preventive and lifestyle tools.
Do I need one near me?
No. Nearly everything a longevity physician does — reviewing history, interpreting labs and imaging, prescribing, adjusting protocols, coaching — happens in conversation, which is why the specialty suits telemedicine so well. Blood is drawn at a Quest, LabCorp or hospital lab near you, and imaging is scheduled at a local center. Sorrell MD serves patients across the United States this way; in-person appointments in Southlake, Texas are available by request.
How much does it cost?
Sorrell MD offers two concierge medical membership levels. The all-inclusive Longevity Program is $7,500 per year, paid upfront, and includes monthly appointments, unlimited messaging, Function Health labs twice a year, and annual gut microbiome, mitochondrial, biological-age and multi-cancer screening tests — over $3,000 of testing built in. The à la carte membership is $375 per month with the same physician access, and testing chosen as needed. Chat-based care starts at $50. Memberships can be paid with HSA or FSA funds.
Is longevity medicine covered by insurance?
Membership fees are not billed to insurance. Many of the laboratory tests are covered when there is a clinical indication, and imaging such as a coronary calcium score is inexpensive cash-pay. Prescriptions are filled through your pharmacy and insurance in the usual way.
What credentials should the physician have?
Look for a medical degree with board certification in a primary specialty such as internal medicine, active licensure in your state, and evidence of ongoing training in preventive, hormonal and metabolic medicine. Dr. Luke Sorrell is a board-certified internist, a Fellow of the American College of Physicians, and a Peptavo Certified Clinician in peptide therapy.
Further Reading
- The strongest predictor of how long you'll live isn't on your lab report
- Lipoprotein(a): the test almost nobody gets, and why it matters
- Insulin resistance: why the oral glucose tolerance test catches it early
- GLP-1s are becoming longevity drugs: the evidence
- The first human trial to measure autophagy during a fasting-mimicking diet
- Why Dr. Sorrell practices precision longevity medicine
Clinical References
- Sniderman AD, et al. "Apolipoprotein B Particles and Cardiovascular Disease: A Narrative Review." JAMA Cardiol. 2019;4(12):1287-1295. doi.org/10.1001/jamacardio.2019.3780
- Kronenberg F, et al. "Lipoprotein(a) in atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease and aortic stenosis: a European Atherosclerosis Society consensus statement." Eur Heart J. 2022;43(39):3925-3946. doi.org/10.1093/eurheartj/ehac361
- Mandsager K, et al. "Association of Cardiorespiratory Fitness With Long-term Mortality Among Adults Undergoing Exercise Treadmill Testing." JAMA Netw Open. 2018;1(6):e183605. doi.org/10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2018.3605
- Budoff MJ, et al. "Ten-year association of coronary artery calcium with atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) events: the multi-ethnic study of atherosclerosis (MESA)." Eur Heart J. 2018;39(25):2401-2408. doi.org/10.1093/eurheartj/ehy217
- Horvath S, Raj K. "DNA methylation-based biomarkers and the epigenetic clock theory of ageing." Nat Rev Genet. 2018;19(6):371-384. doi.org/10.1038/s41576-018-0004-3
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