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The life of the party

By Ralph’s 50th birthday, the good life had caught up with him. He was carrying extra weight and his joints ached. He was exhausted. Getting out of bed felt like a job. 

"I chalked it up to being 50. I thought this is just how I'm supposed to feel now.”

But this wasn't supposed to be his story. For 30+ years, Ralph was the guy. The wine expert everyone invited over, the one who could pair anything. He'd built a life around celebration. 

Then COVID hit and the lockdowns made everything worse. More wine. Overeating. Zero movement. 

In 2022, Ralph’s close friend suffered a massive stroke. His friend survived. But it shook Ralph to his core. 

"That scared me. I realized I'm not 25 anymore. I need to really address this."

One step at a time

Ralph started simple. 

He put on his sneakers every morning and started walking. He joined a gym and started lifting weights. He wasn’t training hard, but he was moving. The weight started coming off slowly.

Then a friend dragged him to a HIIT class and told him about a podcast he should listen to. It was Dr. Mark Hyman, M.D. Ralph enjoyed it and pre-ordered Dr. Hyman’s book “Young Forever.”

And when he heard him mention a code to sign up for Function, Ralph joined that same day.

“I was like, what is this?”

When the first results came back, Ralph wasn’t expecting anything dramatic. 

Instead he saw an unfamiliar marker flagged in red: Lp(a).

"I was like, what is this?"

Lp(a) or Lipoprotein(a) is a genetically inherited marker doctors do not routinely test for. High levels significantly increase the risk of heart attack. Ant 20% of the population may carry it without knowing.

Ralph's Lp(a) was extremely elevated. He had no family history of heart disease so he was blindsided. He started reading and researching and decided to schedule a coronary artery calcium (CAC) scan that measures calcified plaque in the heart’s arteries. 

A score of zero is ideal. 

His calcium score was over 600.

At risk with no symptoms

Ralph didn't wait. He booked an appointment with a cardiologist immediately.

He didn’t have any symptoms. Still, he decided to go through the full workup: echocardiogram, stress test, CT angiogram. There were no active blockages. But with his high Lp(a) and calcium score, the risk was clear.

"If I didn't know about this, there was probably going to be a heart attack in my future. Function saved my life.”

A new therapy

Ralph learned that there’s currently no FDA-approved drug that directly targets high Lp(a). But after consulting with his doctor he started on a PCSK9 inhibitor, a therapy that can help lower it by about 20 to 25%. 

It worked. His Lp(a) went from 151 nmol/L to 115 nmol/L. 

Medication was only one part of his transformation. He doubled down on healthy food. Developed mindful eating habits he could stick with. Committed to a well-rounded workout routine. And he lost 50 pounds.

His ApoB and LDL, two other critical heart biomarkers, also dropped into the healthy range. 

As a wine connoisseur, he also needed a formula to ensure he could balance his work and enjoy his life.

"I follow the 80/20 rule. 80% of the time, I'm dialed in. The other 20%? If I want pizza, I have pizza. I need balance."

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No going back

After his transformation, Ralph couldn't keep his experience to himself.

"My customers would come in and say, 'Ralph, you look great. What's going on?' And I'd explain everything. I became obsessed in the best way."

With each person’s questions and curiosity, he started to realize he had a new calling.

He became a certified health coach.

He still owns his wine shop. But now he pairs the perfect bottle with a conversation about Lp(a), ApoB, and taking control of your health.

"I tell everyone: If I can do it, so can you. I have not felt this good since my 30s."

He even keeps an old belt in his closet as a reminder. "I never want to go back."

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