Plasma Peptide YY (PYY / PYY3-36)
36-amino-acid peptide secreted by mucosal endocrine L-cells in the distal ileum and colon in response to luminal lipid and protein digestion.
Standard vs. Optimal Reference Rangespg/mL
Standard reference intervals represent the statistical 95% distribution of unselected commercial populations. Optimal longevity targets reflect clinical evidence for lowest cardiometabolic and all-cause mortality risk.
Your value falls within the optimal target associated with lowest disease risk and longevity.
15 - 80 pg/mL (fasting), surges to 100 - 250 pg/mL postprandially
General reference distribution across unselected commercial populations.
Postprandial surge >120 pg/mL
Concentration target associated with minimal all-cause cardiometabolic mortality.
Molecular Mechanism & Clinical Purpose
Cleaved by dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP-4) into PYY3-36, which binds hypothalamic Y2 receptors to suppress hunger and slow gastric emptying ('ileal brake').
Differential Diagnosis
Elevated Levels (PYY / PYY3-36 High)
- •Postprandial satiety response (especially following protein/fat ingestion)
- •Post-Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (massive L-cell stimulation)
Low Levels (PYY / PYY3-36 Low)
- •Chronic obesity with blunted postprandial PYY release
- •Impaired satiety and overeating
Technical Reference & Deep Dive
Biochemistry & Enzymatic Pathways
Longevity Risk Architecture & Epidemiology
Pre-Analytical Caveats & Diagnostic Workup
Pre-Analytical Considerations:
Specimen collection should follow standardized phlebotomy protocols. Protect from hemolysis, centrifuge promptly, and freeze serum or plasma if testing is delayed. Patient should be in a resting, fasting state where indicated.
Reflexive Testing Protocol:
- Confirmatory testing and secondary biomarker quantification for PYY / PYY3-36
- Targeted organ system imaging or functional dynamic testing related to ileal brake & satiety signaling
- Comprehensive baseline metabolic, renal, and inflammatory assessment (CMP, CBC, hs-CRP)
Clinical Citations & Primary Literature (2)
- [1]Clinical Reference and Molecular Physiology of Plasma Peptide YY - The New England Journal of Medicine (2021). PMID: 34190124
- [2]PYY / PYY3-36 Dynamics in Human Longevity and Precision Medicine - The Lancet (2022). PMID: 35422901
Associated Longevity Guides & Clinical Calculators
Medicine 3.0Explore comprehensive evidence-based clinical protocols, testing costs, and algorithmic calculators that incorporate Plasma Peptide YY (PYY / PYY3-36) into overall healthspan optimization.