Astragalus is two products wearing one name. The cheap whole root shows slower kidney decline in diabetes, steadier blood sugar, better heart pumping and less exhaustion during cancer treatment, on weak studies. The premium extract lengthens the protective caps on chromosomes without improving physical function. One-year safety is unremarkable; longer follow-up does not exist. (Full Review)
| Marker | Target | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Seated systolic blood pressure | 110–125 mmHg | Astragalus lowers it; additive with medication |
| eGFR | Above 90 mL/min/1.73 m², or a stable year-on-year slope | The best-evidenced clinical benefit |
| Urine albumin-to-creatinine ratio | Below 10 mg/g | Detects kidney damage before filtration rate moves |
| hs-CRP | Below 1.0 mg/L | Tracks the anti-inflammatory claim |
| ALT | 10–26 U/L in women, 10–33 U/L in men | Detects herb-induced liver stress |
| Fasting glucose | 75–86 mg/dL | Additive lowering with diabetes medication |
| Leukocyte telomere length | No target; change from own baseline, and percentage below 3 kbp | The only direct readout of the telomerase mechanism |
| CD4/CD8 ratio | 1.0–2.5 | The immune marker most consistently moved |
Cadence: Baseline panel first. Blood pressure twice daily for four weeks, then weekly. Bloodwork at 12 weeks, then every six months. Telomere length annually at most.