Lag‑aware biomarker interpretation

Cross‑sectional biomarker–mortality associations can be driven by recent illness lowering biomarkers (reverse causation), so analyses must report lagged risks, genetic proxies, and trial data before inferring causality. Clinical and public messaging should flag whether low (or high) biomarker readings reflect long‑run causal exposure or short‑term sickness. — Adopting a lag‑aware standard would reduce misleading health narratives (e.g., ‘low cholesterol is dangerous’) and improve policy decisions about screening, prescribing, and public guidance.