Trend Tuesday: Blood Setpoints: The Overlooked Path to Personalized Medicine

Art by @basilonmypizza

Recently, I strapped on the same glucose monitor people with diabetes rely on, all to learn more about my food patterns. What surprised me: how stable my blood sugar remained—even overnight. I assumed it would steadily drop in the wee hours, but our body is great at tapping into reserves.

It turns out blood sugar and body temperature aren’t the only strictly regulated markers. A new study in Nature (Nature volume 637, pages 430–438, 2025, https://lnkd.in/eUA9f9VC) and insights from Eric Topol (https://lnkd.in/ePyJkSBT) highlight how blood composition also runs on individual setpoints—stable levels that bounce back even after infections or injuries.

Why does this matter?
🔬 Blood tests are among the most frequent medical analyses, often one per person per year in many countries.
📊 Individual setpoints are more precise than the one-size-fits-all ranges currently used in diagnostics.
⚠️ By relying on population-based reference values, we’re missing crucial personal baselines.

Next steps:
📁 Define individual setpoints from existing lab data to improve accuracy.
🤖 Use AI to flag early deviations from your normal, much like wearables do with heart rate changes.
🏥 Integrate this into clinical workflows for more precise monitoring—no extra tests needed

Of course, population averages have their place, and we need secure, interoperable systems to handle all this personalized data without causing undue alarm. Implemented thoughtfully, these individual setpoints will enhance everyday healthcare.

As someone who’s thrilled to work with this kind of data, I see a practical path toward individualized medicine that’s both simple and cost-effective. Next time you have blood work done, consider asking about your personal baseline—it could be a game-changer for your health.

Now, if only my body weight would be regulated as strictly…

🚀 What trend in health and AI is inspiring you the most right now?

The wonderful art as always by @basilonmypizza: https://lnkd.in/eF8FkWzN https://basilhefti.ch/