Palo Alto-Silicon Valley clinics›Whole-body baseline
Palo Alto-Silicon Valley · Guide · Whole-body baseline

Whole-body baseline testing in Palo Alto-Silicon Valley

A baseline is a snapshot of your health while you feel well, so future results have something to compare against. Here's what a first workup covers, what it costs, and which Palo Alto-Silicon Valley clinics offer one.

Main tests
A broad blood panel Plus body composition and a fitness test
What you do
A blood draw, a body scan and a fitness test After a talk about your goals and history
You get
A snapshot of your health And a plan to retest
Palo Alto photograph by Blair Morris · Unsplash

What a baseline usually includes

A baseline is a health snapshot taken while you feel fine. Most cover a broad blood panel, body composition, a fitness test and a detailed history. The real value comes later, when you retest and can see which way your numbers are moving.

Think of it like a photo of your health. One photo shows how things look today. Two photos a few years apart show what's changing, and that's usually the part worth knowing.

Broad blood panel

One blood draw that checks heart, blood sugar, hormones, inflammation, liver, kidneys and more. Expect a few numbers just outside the normal range. Most of them mean nothing.

Cash price: $50 to $1,000

DEXA scan

A low-dose X-ray that measures your fat, muscle and bone density, including the fat around your organs.

Cash price: $65 to $249

VO2 max test

Measures how well your body uses oxygen while you exercise hard, on a bike or treadmill with a mask on.

Cash price: $100 to $675

History and the basics

Blood pressure, your family history, your medicines and how you feel day to day.

Biological age test

Estimates how fast your body is aging from a blood or saliva sample. Interesting to track, but it is still a research tool, and different tests can disagree.

Executive physical

A full day of tests in one place, often with imaging, a stress test and a doctor review the same day.

Prices that clinics publish on their own websites, across all the cities we cover. Prices change, so confirm with the clinic.

Checkups in Palo Alto-Silicon Valley, by the numbers

The rate of yearly checkups in Palo Alto-Silicon Valley is lower than the national rate. In Palo Alto-Silicon Valley, 71.2% of adults saw a doctor for a routine checkup in the past year, compared with 76.9% nationally. That leaves roughly 430,000 adults in Santa Clara County who haven't had a routine checkup in the past year.

71.2%of adults in Palo Alto-Silicon Valley saw a doctor for a routine checkup in the past yearUS: 76.9%
430,000adults in Palo Alto-Silicon Valley haven't had a routine checkup in the past yearEstimated from CDC county figures
8Palo Alto-Silicon Valley clinics list baseline testingSee them below
Palo Alto-Silicon Valley vs the US
Share of each group named, 2023.
Yearly checkup
Cholesterol checked (past 5 years)
No health insurance (ages 18 to 64)
↓ Data

Source: CDC PLACES, 2023 county estimates. Palo Alto-Silicon Valley = Santa Clara County, weighted by adult population.

longevityclinicshub.com

A yearly visit with your regular doctor covers the basics, including blood pressure and cholesterol. The tests above add more markers if you want a fuller picture.

Showing 8 clinics that address whole-body baseline in Palo Alto-Silicon Valley

How we order clinics
Biograph, San Francisco Bay Area clinic

Biograph, San Francisco Bay Area

San Mateo, on the San Francisco Peninsula
Dr. Gilberto Hernandez, MD, Dr. Jonathan Fu, MD and 2 more
Whole-body baselineCancer risk & screeningStrength, fitness & body composition

Biograph's founding clinic sits in San Mateo, on the San Francisco Peninsula. An annual membership is built around one full assessment day of twenty or more tests, including whole-body MRI, bloodwork, DEXA, VO2 max and genetic testing, with a physician-led review three weeks later. Black Membership adds cardiac and lung CT and multi-cancer early detection. People come here for a whole-body baseline. Led by Dr. Gilberto Hernandez, MD, Dr. Jonathan Fu, MD, Michael Doney, MD and 1 more.

Tests & services

Comprehensive biomarker panel Continuous glucose monitoring Coronary calcium score DEXA scan +15 more
See if it’s a fit
Ezra East San Jose clinic

Ezra East San Jose

McKee Road, Alum Rock, San Jose
Advanced diagnostics & emerging careCancer risk & screeningHeart & circulation

Ezra's East San Jose center sits in a shopping center on McKee Road in the Alum Rock neighborhood. It sells a 22-minute whole-body MRI covering head, neck, abdomen and pelvis, a 47-minute version adding the spine, a low-dose Lung CT Scan and a Heart CT Scan with a coronary artery calcium score. Scanning happens at RadNet, and results come back as an Ezra Report in about 7 to 10 days.

Tests & services

Coronary calcium score Full-body MRI Low-dose lung CT
See if it’s a fit
Nawal L. Atwan Johansen, MD, Nawal Johansen, MD

Nawal Johansen, MD

El Camino Real, Palo Alto
Nawal L. Atwan Johansen, MD
Heart & circulationWhole-body baselineBrain & cognition

Nawal Johansen, MD is a single-physician concierge internal medicine practice on El Camino Real in Palo Alto, built around an annual executive physical and a preventive menu that names its tests: coronary calcium CT scanning, echocardiograms, stress testing, ECG monitoring, advanced lab testing and bone density. Dr Johansen practised at Stanford for over a decade and holds active privileges at Stanford Hospital. Led by Nawal L. Atwan Johansen, MD.

Tests & services

Coronary calcium score DEXA scan Longevity membership Cardiac stress test +4 more
See if it’s a fit
Peninsula Doctor clinic

Peninsula Doctor

Menlo Park, Peninsula
Genetics & biological ageMedical weight lossMidlife & menopause

A Menlo Park concierge practice built around three family medicine physicians, founded by Dr. Ian Kroes. Its longevity care line adds genetic testing, body analysis and a comprehensive fitness assessment on top of primary care. Two registered dieticians and two fitness trainers work alongside the doctors, and nutrition patients are matched to the specialist who fits their goals.

Tests & services

Genetic & genomic testing Health & nutrition coaching Longevity membership
See if it’s a fit
Prenuvo, Redwood City clinic

Prenuvo, Redwood City

Redwood City, on El Camino Real
Dr. Daniel Durand, MD, Dr. Amar Patel, MD and 1 more
Whole-body baselineAdvanced diagnostics & emerging careBrain & cognition

Prenuvo's Bay Area clinic is a dedicated whole-body MRI screening center on El Camino Real in Redwood City. Single scans and annual membership tiers run from a focused head-to-mid-thigh scan to the full Whole Body Scan, each with a Prenuvo Results Review. Booking runs online, with scans of roughly 45 to 75 minutes. People come here to establish a whole-body baseline. Led by Dr. Daniel Durand, MD, Dr. Amar Patel, MD, Dr. Karolina Brook MD FASA CPPS.

Tests & services

Comprehensive biomarker panel Full-body MRI Brain MRI with volumetrics
See if it’s a fit
Dr. Sukhjit (Sarge) Takhar, MDDr. Michael Billington, MD

PrimaryMD, San Mateo

South San Mateo Drive, San Mateo
Dr. Sukhjit (Sarge) Takhar, MD, Dr. Michael Billington, MD
Whole-body baselineStrength, fitness & body compositionMetabolic health & blood sugar

PrimaryMD is a physician-led membership practice on South San Mateo Drive, and its diagnostic programme is named rather than described: a DEXA body-composition and bone-density scan, VO2 max, resting metabolic rate, grip strength, quarterly blood panels and one-time whole-genome sequencing. Each care team is capped at 150 members, and this is the member's everyday primary care too. Led by Dr. Sukhjit (Sarge) Takhar, MD, Dr. Michael Billington, MD.

Tests & services

Comprehensive biomarker panel Continuous glucose monitoring DEXA scan VO₂ max testing +5 more
See if it’s a fit
Tiffany Gorman, MDMike Gorenchtein, MD

Silicon Valley Sports Medicine

East Hacienda Avenue, Campbell
Tiffany Gorman, MD, Mike Gorenchtein, MD and 1 more
Advanced diagnostics & emerging careStrength, fitness & body compositionWhole-body baseline

Silicon Valley Sports Medicine is a physician-owned family and sports medicine practice in Campbell that runs a named SVSM Longevity Program alongside its PPO-billed care. The measurement is specific: VO2 max testing on a treadmill or a bike, resting metabolic rate testing, biannual strength and mobility evaluation, and a 60-minute Comprehensive Cognitive Assessment run by a geriatrician. Led by Tiffany Gorman, MD, Mike Gorenchtein, MD, Juana Vargas, MD.

Tests & services

VO₂ max testing Electrocardiogram Exosome therapy Longevity membership +8 more
See if it’s a fit

Q Bio

Brewster Avenue, downtown Redwood City
Garry Choy, MD
Whole-body baselineAdvanced diagnostics & emerging careCancer risk & screening

Q Bio runs one clinic on Brewster Avenue in Redwood City and sells one thing: the Q Exam, a 75-minute visit capturing a non-contrast whole-body MRI across 10 sequences, 120+ blood and urine biomarkers, and a 163-gene panel. Every scan is analysed by Constellation, the company's FDA-cleared image-analysis software, read by a board-certified radiologist, and walked through with a physician in a 45-minute Data Review. Led by Garry Choy, MD.

Tests & services

Comprehensive biomarker panel Full-body MRI Genetic & genomic testing
See if it’s a fit

How a first baseline visit usually goes

  1. Goals and history first

    What you want to know, what runs in your family, and what you have already had tested.

  2. The testing

    Usually a blood draw, a body scan and a fitness test. Ask what is included and what costs extra.

  3. Results, explained

    What is normal, what is borderline, and which results need nothing at all.

  4. A plan to retest

    Ask what gets repeated, when, and whether your own doctor gets a copy.

If something feels wrong right now, see your doctor. A baseline package isn't built for that.

Go deeper

Explainer Biomarker testing vs an annual physical

What your yearly checkup covers, what a longevity blood panel adds, and how to use both together.
Reference The biomarker glossary: 100 markers explained

Every marker on a longevity blood panel, in two or three plain sentences each.
Starting guide I feel healthy. Why test anything?

The case for looking early, the real downsides of testing while healthy, and how to work out which question you are actually asking.

Common questions

Which clinics in Palo Alto-Silicon Valley address whole-body baseline?

8 in our Palo Alto-Silicon Valley guide: Biograph, San Francisco Bay Area, Ezra East San Jose, Nawal Johansen, MD, Peninsula Doctor, Prenuvo, Redwood City, PrimaryMD, San Mateo, Silicon Valley Sports Medicine and Q Bio.

Is it worth it if I already get a yearly physical?

They do different jobs. A physical covers the checks with strong proof for your age. A baseline is broader and built for comparing over time. It's worth the most when someone will actually retest and look at the trend with you.

What about blood panels with hundreds of markers?

That's one piece of it. A baseline usually also covers body composition, fitness and your history. If the panels are what you want, our biomarker panels page lists clinics that offer them.

How often should I retest?

It depends on what came back. Many clinics retest once a year, and some numbers only need checking every few years. Ask the clinic what they would repeat and why.

What does this cost, and will insurance cover it?

A one-time workup can run from a few hundred dollars to several thousand. Some parts, like a cholesterol check, are often covered by insurance. Broader packages are usually self-pay. Our guides on cost and insurance go deeper.

What happens if something comes back abnormal?

Usually it's the start of a process, not an emergency. The next step might be a repeat test, another scan, or a referral, and many findings turn out to be harmless. Before you book, ask who reviews surprising results, how fast you'll hear, and whether your doctor gets a copy.

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.

Sources (6)
  1. U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, A and B recommendations
  2. U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, Osteoporosis to prevent fractures: screening
  3. National Cancer Institute, Cancer screening overview (PDQ), patient version
  4. American College of Radiology, statement on screening total body MRI
  5. American Heart Association, Importance of assessing cardiorespiratory fitness in clinical practice: a case for fitness as a clinical vital sign
  6. National Institute on Aging, In search of better biomarkers of aging

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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