For Guhan, joining Function was a career move at first. Working on the AI team gave him a front-row seat to how health data can empower people—and then, his own results made that mission hit home.

The job came with a unique perk: a Function membership. Guhan was curious about what testing would find, but he wasn’t worried—his health was already top of mind.

My father passed from a heart attack a couple of years ago and my mother was a stroke patient, so making sure I’m on track to keeping myself healthy was a priority. I’d been keeping track of a lot of biomarkers covered under health insurance.

He considered himself relatively healthy already—and his annual lab tests never raised a red flag.

I had been doing the standard lipid panel for the past couple of years and all those had been coming back within range. So I didn't really expect to see anything to surprise me when I did my test through Function.

What the standard lipid panel usually misses

When Guhan got his results back, one biomarker he’d never tested before stood out: Lipoprotein(a).

His Lp(a) was 229 nmol/L—more than three times the reference range (<75 nmol/L) suggested by major medical societies.

When elevated, Lp(a) increases your risk of cardiovascular disease, including heart attack and stroke —even when standard lipid panel biomarkers, like LDL, are in range. 

Although it’s estimated that 20-30% of the world’s population could have elevated Lp(a), less than 1% of lipid panels include it.

“My gears started turning,” Guhan said. “ What should I do now?”

The answer, unfortunately, is not so simple.  

Elevated Lp(a) is largely genetic.

And while there are some promising clinical trials underway, Lp(a) doesn’t respond as well to traditional cardiovascular interventions like lipid-lowering medications.

Choosing empowerment, not anxiety

Instead of feeling discouraged, Guhan used his results — and his new understanding of Lp(a) — as motivation.

An analysis of over 112 million individuals found that only 0.3% had ever had their Lp(a) levels checked and an individual's risk of heart disease could be underestimated without this measurement.

Obviously it’s unfortunate that there's no immediate cure. But knowing it early means I can take control of everything I can manage.

He’s grateful that he tested at 29 years old.

It allows me to take charge of my own trajectory. If this augments my risk for a lifetime, then knowing when I'm 29 as opposed to much later on in life, is something that empowers me as I make decisions about what will happen in the future.

He’s already looking into clinical trials centered on RNA therapeutics—and he took testing as an opportunity to get strict about taking supplements like omega-3 and vitamin D to support heart health.

I had been kind of lax about taking supplements, but I became much more diligent. The goal there is: If I can't lower Lp(a), can I drive down my other risk factors, so that I can be in a better position to live a healthier life going forward? And that's something that I wouldn't have been prepared to do if I had not taken this test.

Guhan already had a healthy diet and exercise routine, two major factors in heart health, so the supplements were a small tweak—but a meaningful one for his mindset.

When you start having a comprehensive view of your health, it allows you to prioritize the smaller things more.

Followup testing and lifelong tracking

For Guhan, the future looks bright—and long. 

Knowing this means that, you know, I can live a healthy life into my 70s and 80s, and that's something that is incredibly powerful for me.

Guhan will recheck 60+ key biomarkers 6 months after his first test—Function membership includes bi-annual follow-up tests to monitor for indicators of diseases and give members new insights as their biomarkers change.

His brother has already followed in his footsteps and joined Function, and Guhan hopes to inspire others to dig deeper than the standard annual physical and get advanced testing.

Do what you need to do to be fully informed. It puts you in the driver's seat of your own health.

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