A baseline is a record of your health taken while you feel well, so that a change years from now has something to be measured against. Most first workups combine a broad blood panel with body composition, a measure of fitness and a careful history, and some add imaging. The value is not the number of markers. It is whether someone explains what came back, decides what is worth repeating, and tells you plainly which findings need nothing at all.
What a baseline is actually for
Most medical testing begins with a question: you noticed something, and a test looks for the cause. A baseline starts from the opposite place. You feel fine, and the point is to write down where you stand now, so that a result five years from now can be read as a change rather than as an isolated number.
That makes a baseline more useful over time than on the day you receive it. One reading tells you whether something sits inside the usual range. Two readings, years apart, tell you the direction you are moving in, and the direction is usually the part worth knowing.
What a first baseline usually covers
Practices differ, but most first workups are built from the same parts: a broad blood panel read across heart, metabolic, hormone, inflammation and organ markers; body composition and bone density; a measure of cardiorespiratory fitness; blood pressure; and a detailed personal and family history. Some add imaging.
The history is the part that tends to be underrated. It decides which of the rest is worth doing, and it is the reason two people of the same age can reasonably leave with different test lists.
How this differs from your annual physical
An annual physical is not a smaller version of this. It is built around a shorter set of checks with strong evidence behind them, chosen for what your age and risk make likely. A baseline workup is broader by design, and broader is not automatically better: it means more numbers, including some that sit just outside a reference range and mean nothing.
A baseline is also not a substitute for the age and risk appropriate screening you are due. If a colonoscopy or a mammogram is on your list, a broad panel does not stand in for it.
What a broad first workup cannot settle
Testing many things at once in someone who feels well reliably turns up results that are borderline, incidental or hard to read on their own. Most of them come to nothing. Some take a repeat test months later to settle, and the waiting is the part people tend to find hardest.
Newer measures are worth knowing by name. Biological age estimates are a research measure rather than a diagnosis, and different versions of them can disagree with each other. They may be interesting. They are not yet the thing a care plan should hinge on.
What happens to the numbers afterwards
A baseline earns its value on the second visit rather than the first, which makes the follow-up arrangement worth asking about before you book. Who reviews the results with you, what gets repeated and when, and whether your own doctor receives a copy.
A set of results handed over with no conversation attached is data rather than care. The interpretation is the service.
A baseline recorded while you are well gives every later result something to be read against, and it can sometimes find a treatable thing early. The trade-off is that broad testing in a well person also turns up borderline and incidental findings, and each one can mean a repeat test, a referral and a stretch of waiting before it comes to nothing.
How a first baseline visit usually goes
Practices organize this differently, but a first baseline tends to follow the same four steps.
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History and goals first
What concerns you, what runs in your family, and what you have already had tested. This decides which tests are worth doing, and a practice that books a panel before asking is starting in the wrong place.
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The testing itself
Usually a blood draw, body composition and a fitness measure, sometimes imaging. Ask what your booking includes and what would be arranged separately.
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Someone explains the results
A conversation covering what came back, what sits outside a range, what that does and does not mean, and which findings need nothing.
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A plan for the repeat
A baseline only pays off when something is later measured against it. Ask what gets repeated, on what interval, and whether your own doctor receives a copy.
How the main approaches differ
Three approaches show up across these practices. They answer different questions, so comparing them line by line can mislead.
| Approach | What it does | What to know |
|---|---|---|
| A one-off baseline assessment | A single broad workup with a written summary, bought once and not tied to ongoing care. | Suits someone who has a doctor they like and wants depth once. The repeat, and acting on what comes back, is left to you. |
| A baseline inside ongoing care | The same workup used as the entry point to continuing care, with repeat testing and a physician who follows the trend. | This is where a baseline is most likely to be acted on, because someone is scheduled to look again. It is an ongoing commitment rather than a single purchase. |
| A baseline built around imaging | A workup with a scan at the centre and bloodwork arranged around it. | Broad imaging in a person with no symptoms is intended as an addition to guideline screening rather than a replacement, and professional bodies have not recommended it for people with no symptoms or risk factors. |
Whole-body baseline testing at Chicago clinics
10 of the 12 researched Chicago clinic locations document a pathway for whole-body baseline. Each profile below shows how the practice is organized and who it identifies as its clinical leadership.
Which of these are near you?
Chicago covers a wide area, and travel matters for testing you may repeat on a schedule. Enter your ZIP code and the list below reorders by distance.
Sorting by distance never hides a clinic. Every researched practice stays on the page.
BluePath Longevity
BluePath Longevity is a Schaumburg practice founded by two physicians, Amy Chhadia, MD and Syeda Madani, DO, both trained in anaesthesiology. It publishes six amounts across three assessment tiers and three memberships, from a remote-capable Foundations Blueprint up to an Executive Immersion running over 200 biomarkers with full-body MRI, coronary calcium scoring and an epigenetic ageing audit.
Three published assessment tiers run from a comprehensive biomarker panel up to over 200 biomarkers with imaging, an epigenetic ageing audit and at-home sleep studies.
Dr. Amy Chhadia, MD and 1 more named clinician
Founding physician. Published as a DOUBLE BOARD CERTIFIED PHYSICIAN. States she has been a board-certified anesthesiologist for over twenty years, trained at the University of Chicago where she also served as a Clinical Associate Professor for the Department of Anesthesia and Critical Care, and pursued advanced education through Harvard Medical School in metabolic and obesity medicine.
Innovative Vitality
Innovative Vitality is a Lincoln Park membership practice running longevity-focused primary care alongside weight management, menopause and men's health under one clinical team. Five clinicians are named, led by founder Rahul Khare, MD. The first visit is in person for labs, measurements and an InBody analysis, and most visits afterwards are virtual.
The standalone entry route is published as an advanced panel of 80+ biomarkers with an InBody assessment and a one-hour provider consultation.
Renata Gazzi, MD, DABOM, MSCP and 4 more named clinicians
Physician. Named on the practice's team carousel as Renata Gazzi, MD, DABOM, MSCP, with a headshot and a bio link.
Northwestern Medicine Human Longevity Clinic
The Human Longevity Clinic is Northwestern Medicine's Streeterville programme for measuring how a person is ageing across several organ systems at once. Ten physicians are named, led by medical director Baljash S. Cheema, MD, MSCI, MSAI. The half-day visit covers VO2 max, a DXA scan, epigenetic clocks, retinal imaging and pulse wave velocity, and testing repeats at six months.
The initial visit is published as a half-day of specialised testing across multiple organ systems, covering laboratory analysis, body composition, cardiopulmonary, neurocognitive, sensory and musculoskeletal assessment.
Baljash S. Cheema, MD, MSCI, MSAI and 9 more named clinicians
Medical Director, Northwestern Medicine Human Longevity Clinic. Director, AI-Based Analytics, Potocsnak Longevity Institute, Human Longevity Laboratory (HLL). Heart Failure and Heart Transplantation.
Prenuvo Chicago
Prenuvo's Chicago clinic on West Van Buren Street books whole-body MRI screening, Monday to Saturday from quarter past seven in the morning. The standalone Whole Body Scan is published as a radiation-free multi-sequence protocol covering the brain, spine, abdomen, pelvis and more in under an hour. Chicago is one of the clinics offering the Advanced Heart Health Scan.
The Whole Body Scan is published as a multi-sequence MRI protocol evaluating major organs, the brain, spine, abdomen and pelvis in under an hour.
Published by Prenuvo Medical Group, not for this location
Prenuvo publishes its medical leadership for the whole organisation rather than per clinic.
Company-wide role, not this location's clinician.
Chicago Direct Primary Care
Chicago Direct Primary Care is a direct-pay practice on West North Avenue, run by Muhammad Raza Aftab, MD, DABOM, board-certified in internal medicine and obesity medicine. Its Medicine 3.0 programme splits the year into four preventive visits covering heart, metabolic, cognitive, sexual and sleep health. VO₂ max, DEXA, resting metabolic rate and a glucose monitor are included yearly in the Prevention Pro plan.
The All-in-One plan is published as two visits producing a single in-depth blood panel plus a DEXA scan, VO₂ max test, RMR test and continuous glucose monitor, described as a clear snapshot of your overall health.
Muhammad Raza Aftab MD, DABOM
Founder and physician. Published as a board-certified, Internal Medicine-trained physician who completed an additional board-certification in Obesity Medicine, and as recognized by the American Board of Obesity Medicine. States he completed medical schooling at Punjab Medical College on a full scholarship, immigrated to the United States in 2016, completed Internal Medicine residency at Ascension Health Saint Joseph Hospital in Chicago, and then worked as an attending hospitalist at the University of Chicago in Hyde Park.
Harper Health
Harper Health is a concierge primary care group founded by Dr. Will Harper, with a Streeterville suite at 737 N Michigan Ave. The annual visit is a three-hour assessment with DEXA body composition, resting metabolic rate, spirometry, audiometry, EKG, SkinIO skin cancer screening and onsite labs. Members can add Cleerly heart imaging, the Galleri cancer blood test and Invitae genomic panels.
The annual assessment is published as a three-hour visit taking in a head-to-toe examination, onsite labs, body composition, metabolic rate, lung and hearing screening, an EKG and a skin scan, ending with a comprehensive review and a written plan for the year.
William Harper, MD, FACP and 9 more named clinicians
Founder. Published as William Harper, MD, FACP, with a photograph and a bio link. Listed among the doctors serving the Streeterville location. The practice states he has over 25 years as an internal medicine physician in Chicago, and he writes that when we opened in August 2016, we had 49 patients in our sole downtown location.
Refine by Tulsi
Refine by Tulsi runs the Refine Longevity Club from two Chicago studios in Lincoln Park and Logan Square, led by Dr. Tulsi Kotecha, MD and Dr. Laura Ruof. The membership works from advanced biomarkers, hormones, metabolism and body composition, and Refine OS turns your bloodwork, InBody or DEXA, wearable data and symptoms into a Longevity Score and a biological age.
The Longevity Club is published as starting from health history, symptoms, goals, body composition and clinically appropriate testing, then repeating the measurements to track the response.
Dr. Tulsi Kotecha, BSc, MD and 1 more named clinician
Founder & Medical Director. Her own page lists three certifications: American Academy of Procedural Medicine, Aesthetic Medicine; American Academy of Procedural Medicine, Anti Aging; and the American Board of Internal Medicine. Licensure listed as The Medical Board of Illinois and the General Medical Council, UK. States a bachelor's degree in Medical Physics and Bioengineering from University College London in 2008 and a medical degree from the University of Bristol in 2011, then an internal medicine residency at Presence Saint Joseph Hospital in Chicago after relocating in 2012.
Santé Integrated Health & Wellness
Santé Integrated Health & Wellness is a Winnetka practice founded and led by Dr. Faris Murad, a Mayo Clinic-trained, board-certified gastroenterologist. Its preventive and longevity care runs DEXA, resting metabolic rate, VO₂ max, continuous glucose monitoring and grip strength alongside genetic risk panels. A one-day Executive Physical, single services and an annual membership are each published.
The Executive Physical is published as six key areas of assessment producing one comprehensive picture in a single day, and the membership publishes a baseline across metabolism, body composition, bone health, fitness and glucose trends.
Dr. Faris Murad
Founder and physician. Published on the Areas of Care page as a board-certified interventional gastroenterologist with more than 20 years of advanced clinical experience, and on the menopause page as Mayo Clinic-trained. States he founded Santé on the principle that the body does not function in isolated systems, and neither should medicine.
Sean Cahill, MD
Sean Cahill, MD is a single-physician concierge internal medicine practice in Suite 118 at 680 N. Lake Shore Drive, on Chicago's lakefront. The annual membership publishes an annual wellness visit, screening bloods and an EKG, direct text and phone access, and specialist care coordination. Named partnerships bring Prenuvo whole-body MRI, Galleri, OpenDNA, Cleerly and CustomFit PT fitness longevity testing to members.
The Testing page lists a named panel including CMP, CBC, TSH, lipids with Lipoprotein (a) and Apolipoprotein B, a baseline EKG and a CT Coronary Calcium Score at the initial visit.
Sean Cahill, MD
Physician. Published as Licensed Physician, Illinois; American Board of Internal Medicine, 2003-present; American Board of Pediatrics, 2004-present; Fellow, American Academy of Pediatrics (FAAP), 2004-present; Fellow, American College of Physicians (FACP), 2007-present. States he earned his medical degree from Loyola University's Stritch School of Medicine and completed a combined residency in Internal Medicine and Pediatrics at Loyola University Medical Center, currently serves patients at Northwestern Memorial and Central DuPage Hospital, and is a faculty member at Northwestern's Feinberg School of Medicine teaching medical students and residents.
SHIFT
SHIFT is a River North concierge practice built around a full-day executive physical followed by twelve months of medical care. Four physicians are named alongside two physical therapists, a registered dietitian and a nurse. The assessment day runs labs, a DEXA scan, VO2 max, an EKG and vision and hearing screening, and members can add cancer, genomic and biological-age testing.
The executive physical is published as a one-day evaluation covering labs, body composition, cardiorespiratory fitness, an EKG, vision and hearing screening and movement analysis, with an end-of-day review and a digital report.
Dr. Ari Levy, MD, MBA and 7 more named clinicians
Founder & CEO. Published on the team page as Dr. Ari Levy, MD, MBA, Founder & CEO, tagged Physician Team, Clinical Team and Speaker, with a photograph and a bio link. Quoted on the home page under From our Founder: Health isn't built inside the four walls of a doctor's office. At SHIFT, we create partnerships with individual members that focus on progress over perfection and habit-building over quick fixes.
Common questions
Is a baseline workup worth it if I already have an annual physical?
They are doing different jobs. An annual physical covers a shorter list of checks chosen because there is good evidence they help at your age and risk level. A baseline workup is broader, and its argument is about the future: it gives later results something to be compared against. Broader is not automatically better, though. More numbers in a well person means more borderline results, and a baseline is worth most when someone is going to look at it again rather than file it.
I keep seeing blood panels advertised with hundreds of markers. Is that the same thing?
That is one part of it rather than the whole. A baseline usually spans more than blood: body composition, bone density, fitness and a detailed history all feed into it. If it is the panels themselves you came looking for, our comprehensive biomarker panels page lists the clinics near you that publish them.
What does a baseline workup cost?
It varies widely by practice and by what is included, and many clinics discuss fees only after an initial conversation. Some sell a workup as a single purchase; others fold it into a membership alongside ongoing care, where the repeat testing is part of what you are paying for. Ask which of the two you are looking at, and what a repeat would involve.
Will insurance cover it?
Some individual components are commonly covered when they are guideline recommended for your age and risk, and coverage depends on your plan. Broader testing bought as a package is often self-pay, and practices differ in whether they bill insurance at all. Ask each one directly how it handles both parts.
What if something comes back abnormal?
A finding is usually the start of a process rather than an answer. Depending on what it is, the next step may be a repeat test, a targeted scan or a referral, and many findings turn out to be harmless. Before booking, ask who reviews an unexpected result, how quickly you would hear, who arranges any follow-up, and whether the practice sends your records to your own doctor.
How do you decide which clinics appear on this page?
A clinic appears here when its own published material shows it offers this kind of testing at that location.
Whole-body baseline in other cities
Sources
- U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, A and B recommendations Supports: That an annual physical is built around a shorter set of checks with evidence behind them, chosen by age and risk level; That recommendations, rather than individual clinics, set which checks are due and how often.
- U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, Osteoporosis to prevent fractures: screening Supports: That bone density measurement is an established test with defined age and risk criteria.
- National Cancer Institute, Cancer screening overview (PDQ), patient version Supports: That testing people without symptoms produces false positives, which are usually followed by further tests and procedures; That screening can find things that would never have caused symptoms; That a normal result does not rule out disease.
- American College of Radiology, statement on screening total body MRI Supports: That professional bodies have not recommended whole-body imaging for people with no symptoms, risk factors or suggestive family history.
- American Heart Association, Importance of assessing cardiorespiratory fitness in clinical practice: a case for fitness as a clinical vital sign Supports: That cardiorespiratory fitness is a measurement worth recording alongside the standard clinical measures.
- National Institute on Aging, In search of better biomarkers of aging Supports: That biological age measures are an active research area rather than a settled diagnostic; That different measures of biological age can disagree with each other.
This page is educational information, not medical advice, and it is not a recommendation to have or to skip any test. What is worth testing depends on your age, your history and your personal risk, so discuss it with a clinician who knows them. If you have a symptom that concerns you, seek a medical evaluation rather than a baseline package.
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