Methylation Foundation
The MTHFR gene affects an estimated 40 to 60 percent of the population. Most people have never been tested. If you have unexplained fatigue, cardiovascular risk, anxiety, or difficulty with detoxification, methylation is where the investigation starts. This panel gives you the genetic answer once, plus the blood markers that show whether the cycle is actually working.
MTHFR C677T
GeneticThe most studied methylation variant. Homozygous C677T reduces MTHFR enzyme function by up to 70 percent. This determines whether your body can convert folic acid into the active methylfolate your cells actually use.
Most GPs do not test for MTHFR because it does not trigger a prescription. It triggers a protocol of targeted supplementation, which has no commercial value to the healthcare system.
MTHFR A1298C
GeneticThe second common MTHFR variant. Compound heterozygous status (one C677T and one A1298C) is more impactful than either variant alone and is the most common pattern in people with methylation-related symptoms.
Rarely run because the intervention is lifestyle and supplementation, not pharmacological.
Homocysteine
BloodATH Optimal
Under 8 umol/L
Mainstream
Under 15 umol/L
The downstream marker that shows whether your methylation cycle is actually working. Elevated homocysteine is a cardiovascular risk factor, independent of cholesterol. It is also the clinical signal you need to act on, regardless of which variants you carry.
The mainstream cutoff of 15 umol/L includes people with meaningfully elevated cardiovascular risk. The research on optimal, including work from Refsum et al. at Oxford, puts the target under 8.
Serum B12
BloodATH Optimal
600-900 pg/mL
Mainstream
200-900 pg/mL
Primary input for the methylation cycle. The mainstream lower bound of 200 includes people with neurological B12 deficiency. Functional optimal is substantially higher.
The mainstream range was calibrated to prevent clinical deficiency. Not to optimize function.
Serum Folate
BloodATH Optimal
Greater than 10 ng/mL
Mainstream
Greater than 3 ng/mL
The other primary methylation input. Used with RBC folate to determine whether deficiency is the driver of elevated homocysteine.
Standard measure. Mainstream range adequate for deficiency ruling, insufficient for optimization.
RBC Folate
BloodATH Optimal
Greater than 400 ng/mL
Mainstream
Greater than 140 ng/mL
More accurate than serum folate for actual methylation status. RBC folate reflects intracellular availability, not just what is circulating at the time of the draw. This is the measure that matters for methylation cycle assessment.
Requires a separate tube and is more expensive to run. Often skipped. Serum folate is the standard test. RBC is the accurate one.
What happens after you test
Results appear in your ATH account dashboard when received from the lab. A per-marker breakdown generates immediately. If your homocysteine is elevated, you see the research behind the optimal range, what the elevation likely means, and what the evidence supports as intervention. Supplement recommendations link to vetted ATH marketplace products where applicable. No recommendations exist without research behind them.
Apex and Sports subscribers: your Tier 1 results connect to your monthly health coaching report. Methylation status informs B12 protocol, detox support, and stress response interpretation in every subsequent report.
A note on the genetics
MTHFR variants do not change. This test gives you a permanent answer. Retesting the genetic component is not clinically useful. Blood markers (homocysteine, B12, folate) can and should be retested after 90 days if you implement a protocol. A 90-day retest option will be available at launch.