Latest news with #Function
Business Insider
2 hours ago
- Health
- Business Insider
I thought I had great cholesterol, but a trendy new blood test said the opposite — sending me down a mind-boggling rabbit hole
The Rock loves it, Zac Efron invests in it, and Equinox gym members are signing up for it in droves. Function Health is the latest hot commodity for longevity seekers looking to optimize their health. The promise is simple: skip the waiting room at the doctor's office and head straight to the lab, for comprehensive medical testing that evaluates the health of key organs, like your heart and kidneys. Function also measures some things that "regular" doctors typically don't, like electrolyte levels as well as the so-called "heavy metals" — lead, mercury — potentially poisonous substances that can sometimes lurk in our air, water, and food. It might even find cancer. I wanted to see what all the big buzz was about with this $500 annual blood-and-pee testing service, so I tried it out. Disclaimer: I didn't have to pay for it, because Function Health gave out free trials to journalists as the company is still in beta testing mode. In the end, my Function results led me to seek out more advice from doctors than I usually would, to help me separate the signal from the noise in all the data. I freaked out about all the little cholesterol particles hiding out in my blood The good news is that Function is not a huge time suck. It takes about 15 minutes to get the initial testing done and you can roll up to just about any Quest Diagnostics lab location nationwide (except in Hawaii and Rhode Island). Their tests measure over 90 different biomarkers in your blood and urine, including almost all the typical stuff you'd find in a doctor's office (except STD testing). Function performed roughly three times the number of tests I had done the last time I went to the doctor's office for routine bloodwork. There were more measurements related to hormones, key nutrients, my metabolism, and heart health. Function Health also measured my " biological age," a scientifically squishy indicator of health and fitness. With so many tests being run, there's a good chance that something you measure when you do Function will come back abnormal. That doesn't always mean there's something wrong with you; sometimes your own "normal" doesn't fit neatly into a given reference range. Function is OK with having a few errant flags in the data, and encourages re-testing any out of range labs. Their ethos is the more information, the better. It's about creating a more detailed picture of your overall health, not making sure each test is perfect every time. People are "wanting to know more about their biology, and to be advocates for their own health," Dr. Mark Hyman, one of the founders of Function Health, told Business Insider. Hyman, a longtime friend of US Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., chalks it up "to disillusionment with healthcare in general" in the US. Hyman says many people who use Function's tests may be able to resolve their own health concerns without ever seeing a doctor afterwards. "While you'll need to see a doctor for certain things, the beauty of Function is you come in, follow up, order follow up tests on yourself, and then you can follow the guidance," Hyman said. His venture dovetails with the rise of new tech promising to put you in the driver's seat of your own health. Think wearables (rings, watches, glucose monitors) and concierge medicine (full body MRIs, anti-aging IV drips). As the personalized medicine industry booms, Function is taking off. The company says its membership has more than doubled since December, to more than 200,000 customers. I ended up overanalyzing my results, and coming to some pretty silly conclusions The very first "out of range" marker that was mentioned in my Function report was a cholesterol measurement. While my regular LDL, or "bad" cholesterol number — the one you'd get measured in a doctor's office — looked fine, Function also measured the size of my LDL cholesterol particles. Apparently, I had slightly elevated numbers of small and medium sized LDL cholesterol particles, which are more dangerous than larger LDL particles. This "could indicate an increased risk for cardiovascular disease despite normal LDL cholesterol levels," my results said, adding "it is vital to address the out-of-range results." This was a surprise. I had always been told I have "good" cholesterol. I started imagining all those tiny, sticky cholesterol particles racing towards my aging heart. Knowing how important heart health is for healthy aging, and that heart disease is the leading cause of death in the US, I started to worry. Should I quit my beloved mayonnaise? Maybe I should at least cut back. After my initial shock, I reached out to independent cardiologists and longevity doctors for this story. I also spoke directly to Hyman about my results. All of those physicians refocused my attention, helping me interpret the results, and zoom in on the more meaningful ways to adjust my lifestyle. Frankly, they reminded me why this kind of testing isn't widely recommended, and why we go to the doctor in the first place. Without help from doctors, I was stressing about the wrong things in my labs and on my plate Even for me, a seasoned health journalist who isn't generally freaked out by medical test results, this felt like a lot to take in. In addition to the supposedly off-balance cholesterol numbers, there was also low vitamin D, and a few other items that could impact everything from my immunity to metabolism and fertility. Without a doctor's advice, I found it was easy to get lost in the noise of all the results. "I think if you showed any cardiologist or lipidologist your panel, they wouldn't be worrying about you," Dr. Ken Feingold, an emeritus professor of medicine at the University of California, San Francisco, who is an expert on lipids and lipoprotein metabolism, told BI. The cholesterol numbers that really matter were fine, including the basics (total cholesterol, LDL, HDL) but also some of the more niche measurements that doctors are now factoring into clinical decision-making, like lipoprotein A and apolipoprotein B (APOB), Feingold said. "I think it would be very unfair to expect a consumer, the person that had the lab work done to try and figure it out on their own," Dr. David Sabgir, a cardiologist in Ohio who is also not involved with Function Health, told BI. In theory, Function is designed to help consumers make simple nutrition tweaks they hadn't thought to make — perhaps adding fatty fish for omega-3, vitamin D, or fiber supplements. "80% of people's health issues will never need a doctor," Hyman said. "They're really lifestyle-driven and they can be modified through modifying your diet and your lifestyle." However, as a consumer, I found the barrage of information confusing, making it harder to feel in control of good decision-making. Plus, while Function gave me diet and supplement recommendations (vitamin D, fiber, berberine, omega-3, and coQ10, along with more fish and eggs), it buried the most important piece of nutrition advice that every doctor I spoke to was quickly able to point out. Doctors told me to cut back on white bread and enjoy avocados In a follow-up interview with Hyman — which is not standard procedure for Function patients — he told me I could improve my particle numbers by cutting down on, or ideally eliminating, refined starches and sugars. This was advice that was not highlighted in my Function dashboard, but other doctors wholeheartedly agreed. It was the first thing they said. Miora longevity clinic director Dr. Gregory Pippert uses advanced blood testing that's similar to Function's, often catering to patients who are trying to optimize their health and gains in the gym. "I look at so much green on that," he said of my cholesterol panel. "Then I see particle numbers that are not massively high." For Pippert, the headline was simple: just skip the refined grains more often. "Do I really, really need the big extra thick slice of white bread? Maybe not," Pippert said. "It's making the good choices more than the bad choices, but not obsessing." Seeing more granular data may help some patients take general pieces of health advice — to hit the gym five days a week, incorporate more strength training, or adhere to heart healthy diets, like the Mediterranean diet, more seriously. "The anxiety associated with the results may trigger more compliance with lifestyle modification," Sabgir said. But how can we be sure we'll pick out the right tweaks on our own? If I'm skipping mayo but not switching to whole grains or cutting back on sugar, I'm probably not going to have a huge impact on my test results. "I don't know why people are offering this," Feingold said. "It's a way to make a lot of money because sure, they're charging a significant amount of money for this, but you don't really need it to make decisions about who you're going to treat, most of the time."
New York Post
4 days ago
- Health
- New York Post
What being a vegetarian did to my biological age and nutrient makeup
I haven't touched seafood or meat in more than a decade, and aside from a daily multivitamin, I'm hardly what you'd call supplement-savvy. I feel healthy overall — but I had to wonder: Is my vegetarian lifestyle helping me age gracefully, or quietly wearing me down? To find out, I turned to Function Health's biological age test, a new service that promises to reveal how your body is aging on the inside and and empower you to take charge of your health. Dr. Mark Hyman, the company's founder, walked me through my results — including one major red flag I probably wouldn't have caught until it was already causing serious trouble. 7 Studies show that roughly 6% of the US population are vegetarians. Tamara Beckwith/NY Post But first: What is biological age? You've got two ages. Your chronological age is how many years you've lived. Your biological age reflects how your body is aging at the cellular level. A growing number of companies now offer tests that promise to reveal your biological age by analyzing factors like gut bacteria, blood proteins and DNA. Function Health launched its biological age test in 2023, backed by investors like Matt Damon and Pedro Pascal. For $499 a year, you get two rounds of testing: an initial assessment with 105 lab tests, then a follow-up three to six months later with 60-plus retests to track changes after you've had a chance to modify your diet, exercise and supplement intake. The process requires over two dozen vials of blood and a urine sample over two visits. My results came back in about a week, along with personalized insights from Function's clinicians. I scored 20.8 — 4.2 years younger than my actual age. 7 Biological age is a strong predictor of health. Function Health 'It means you're doing better than average,' Hyman told me, 'but the calculation is based on a largely sick population.' In the US, 6 in 10 adults have at least one chronic disease, while 4 in 10 have two or more, according to the CDC. Deficiencies detected Function's biological age test screens your blood for 102 biomarkers, and of them, 11 of mine were out of range. 'With low vitamin D, low iron and low anti-inflammatory omega 3's, I could immediately tell that you're a vegan or vegetarian,' Hyman said. While these nutrients exist in plant-based foods, they're typically found in higher quantities in animal products like fatty fish and liver. My low vitamin D levels could also be due to a lack of sunlight — since, like many Americans, I spend most of my time indoors. Vitamin D isn't just for bones. It also supports immune function, mood and muscle strength — and a deficiency can lead to fatigue, depression and chronic illness. I also had low ferritin, the protein that stores iron. 7 Function Health offers regular lab testing for people to track their health over time. Function Health Low ferritin can zap your energy, weaken your immune system, and even trigger hair loss. Left untreated, it can contribute to heart issues and cognitive decline. Then came the omega-3s. My blood showed low levels of EPA, DHA and DPA — all key fatty acids critical for brain, heart, and cellular health. This kind of imbalance has been linked to everything from depression and anxiety to cardiovascular disease and dementia. Not-so-sweet news Beyond vitamin gaps, my insulin levels also raised a red flag. While still in the 'acceptable' range, they were above optimal — which Hyman explained is a sign my body is working harder than it should to keep my blood sugar stable. 'This is also common in people who are vegan or vegetarian because they tend to have a higher carbohydrate intake,' he said. Reduced insulin sensitivity — a k a insulin resistance — can make it harder to manage weight or build muscle. Left unchecked, it can lead to prediabetes or Type 2 diabetes. 7 To find your biological age, Function Health conducts two blood tests and collects a urine sample. angellodeco – The red flag hiding in my blood But one number made Hyman hit the brakes: my 'extremely high' homocysteine levels. The normal range is up to 10.4 micromoles per liter. Mine was 27.8. 'That's just way, way out of range,' Hyman told me. 'That's usually a consequence of a genetic variation called MTHFR.' The MTHFR gene helps the body process key B vitamins and break down homocysteine. If it's not functioning properly, homocysteine builds up — and that can cause problems. 7 Some nutrients are more readily available in animal products. Prostock-studio – Elevated levels have been linked to heart disease, stroke, cognitive decline, osteoporosis and even pregnancy complications. 'You've really got to take this seriously,' Hyman warned. 'But it's super simple to fix.' No meat, no problem — with a few tweaks Every single issue flagged in my Function test can be improved — no steak required. 'Usually, if you're vegan or vegetarian, you'll be fine for a few years and then your health starts to degrade,' Hyman said. 'You don't have to start eating meat, but you do have to be on lifelong supplements.' Function provided me with a full action plan. 7 Dr. Mark Hyman is a family physician and a leader in functional medicine. Dr. Mark Hyman Top 5 foods I need to eat more of: Pasture-raised eggs Adzuki beans Black beans Black-eyed peas Chickpeas Foods to avoid: Peanut oil Sunflower oil Corn oil Safflower oil Shortening Recommended supplements: Berberine Fiber Red yeast rice Vitamin D Iron bisglycinate + vitamin C Folate B6 and B12 7 Supplements can help fill nutritional gaps in your diet. Brett – Hyman also recommended genetic testing to confirm if I have the MTHFR mutation. 'It's really great that we found this because you could have had it for years and not find out until you're 50 or 60 when something goes wrong,' he said. Despite the 11 flagged biomarkers, I told Hyman I felt great. His reply? A reality check. 'You don't notice there's an elephant standing on your foot until it gets off,' Hyman said. 'All of this stuff is going to make a significant impact on your health — maybe in the short term, but definitely in the long term.' Function recommends members get their blood tested at least once a year to track shifts in their biomarkers. With the suggested changes, Hyman said my biological age will drop even further in the coming months. In the meantime, you'll find me in the supplement aisle.
Yahoo
10-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Function Health Acquires Ezra, Launches $499 Full-Body MRI Scan Backed By Matt Damon, Pedro Pascal, And Kevin Hart
Function Health, the rapidly growing health-tech startup on a mission to help people live 100 healthy years, announced in a statement on Monday a game-changing acquisition that's already turning heads in Silicon Valley and Hollywood alike. The Austin-based company, known for offering over 160 advanced lab tests through its membership platform, has officially acquired Ezra, a New York startup offering full-body MRI scans powered by AI, according to CNBC. Don't Miss: Deloitte's fastest-growing software company partners with Amazon, Walmart & Target – Maker of the $60,000 foldable home has 3 factory buildings, 600+ houses built, and big plans to solve housing — The deal, revealed in the company's statement, signals a major move in the consumer longevity space. According to Fierce Healthcare, the startup is backed by big-name celebrities including Matt Damon, Pedro Pascal, Kevin Hart, Jay Shetty, Zac Efron, Blake Griffin, Colin Kaepernick, and investor Ari Emanuel. Function is now rolling out a 22-minute full-body MRI for just $499, with the company saying in its statement that it's a third of the price of Ezra's previous $1,500 scan. Function co-founder and CEO Jonathan Swerdlin told CNBC, "What labs aren't covering, scans can see, and what scans couldn't touch on, labs cover." Ezra's scans are designed to catch disease before symptoms ever surface. From cancers to degenerative spine issues, silent strokes to liver disease, the AI-enhanced imaging adds a crucial layer to Function's preventive arsenal. According to Ezra founder Emi Gal, who lost his mother to late-stage cancer and started Ezra to change that reality, the goal has always been to find disease early enough to make a difference, CNBC reports. Trending: Donald Trump just announced a $500 billion AI infrastructure deal — . Function is keeping Gal on board to continue leading the MRI division. "Over the past six years my team and I have helped countless people find cancer, many of whom are now cancer-free," Gal said in the startup's statement. "We are now scaling this to millions together with Function." According to Radiology Business, the scans will be immediately available to Function's nearly 200,000 members at almost 100 partner sites, including Longhorn Imaging, Princeton Radiology, and Rayus. Plans are already in motion to scale that to 1,000 locations nationwide. Function has also integrated Ezra's proprietary AI stack: Ezra Flash AI for image quality, Ezra AI for interpreting scans, and Ezra Reporter to simplify radiology language. Together, these tools compress scan time from 60 minutes to just 22, and slash the cost to a fraction of what competitors charge, Radiology Business Health is built around a single idea: health should be in your hands. Co-founder and Chief Medical Officer Mark Hyman calls it the most meaningful venture of his career, a platform rooted in P4 medicine: predictive, preventive, personalized, and participatory. The aim is to give people the data they need to act early, rather than waiting for symptoms to become emergencies, according to Time. Instead of relying on reactive systems and fragmented care, members gain access to centralized, real-time insights drawn from lab tests, full-body imaging, and AI interpretation. Hyman believes this breaks the old model where people had to ask doctors and insurers for permission to understand their own bodies. As he told Time, 'The only way to do that is to have your own data, and not be limited by what you get at your doctor's.' The company is also aggressively scaling. After raising $53 million in a Series A round led by Andreessen Horowitz's Bio + Health fund, with additional backing from Draft Ventures, G9 Ventures, and 53 Stations, Fierce Healthcare reports, Function is seeking $200 million more to fuel growth, according to CNBC. Read Next:'Scrolling To UBI' — Deloitte's #1 fastest-growing software company allows users to earn money on their phones. Image: Shutterstock UNLOCKED: 5 NEW TRADES EVERY WEEK. Click now to get top trade ideas daily, plus unlimited access to cutting-edge tools and strategies to gain an edge in the markets. Get the latest stock analysis from Benzinga? APPLE (AAPL): Free Stock Analysis Report TESLA (TSLA): Free Stock Analysis Report This article Function Health Acquires Ezra, Launches $499 Full-Body MRI Scan Backed By Matt Damon, Pedro Pascal, And Kevin Hart originally appeared on © 2025 Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
10-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Function Health Acquires Ezra, Launches $499 Full-Body MRI Scan Backed By Matt Damon, Pedro Pascal, And Kevin Hart
Function Health, the rapidly growing health-tech startup on a mission to help people live 100 healthy years, announced in a statement on Monday a game-changing acquisition that's already turning heads in Silicon Valley and Hollywood alike. The Austin-based company, known for offering over 160 advanced lab tests through its membership platform, has officially acquired Ezra, a New York startup offering full-body MRI scans powered by AI, according to CNBC. Don't Miss: Deloitte's fastest-growing software company partners with Amazon, Walmart & Target – Maker of the $60,000 foldable home has 3 factory buildings, 600+ houses built, and big plans to solve housing — The deal, revealed in the company's statement, signals a major move in the consumer longevity space. According to Fierce Healthcare, the startup is backed by big-name celebrities including Matt Damon, Pedro Pascal, Kevin Hart, Jay Shetty, Zac Efron, Blake Griffin, Colin Kaepernick, and investor Ari Emanuel. Function is now rolling out a 22-minute full-body MRI for just $499, with the company saying in its statement that it's a third of the price of Ezra's previous $1,500 scan. Function co-founder and CEO Jonathan Swerdlin told CNBC, "What labs aren't covering, scans can see, and what scans couldn't touch on, labs cover." Ezra's scans are designed to catch disease before symptoms ever surface. From cancers to degenerative spine issues, silent strokes to liver disease, the AI-enhanced imaging adds a crucial layer to Function's preventive arsenal. According to Ezra founder Emi Gal, who lost his mother to late-stage cancer and started Ezra to change that reality, the goal has always been to find disease early enough to make a difference, CNBC reports. Trending: Donald Trump just announced a $500 billion AI infrastructure deal — . Function is keeping Gal on board to continue leading the MRI division. "Over the past six years my team and I have helped countless people find cancer, many of whom are now cancer-free," Gal said in the startup's statement. "We are now scaling this to millions together with Function." According to Radiology Business, the scans will be immediately available to Function's nearly 200,000 members at almost 100 partner sites, including Longhorn Imaging, Princeton Radiology, and Rayus. Plans are already in motion to scale that to 1,000 locations nationwide. Function has also integrated Ezra's proprietary AI stack: Ezra Flash AI for image quality, Ezra AI for interpreting scans, and Ezra Reporter to simplify radiology language. Together, these tools compress scan time from 60 minutes to just 22, and slash the cost to a fraction of what competitors charge, Radiology Business Health is built around a single idea: health should be in your hands. Co-founder and Chief Medical Officer Mark Hyman calls it the most meaningful venture of his career, a platform rooted in P4 medicine: predictive, preventive, personalized, and participatory. The aim is to give people the data they need to act early, rather than waiting for symptoms to become emergencies, according to Time. Instead of relying on reactive systems and fragmented care, members gain access to centralized, real-time insights drawn from lab tests, full-body imaging, and AI interpretation. Hyman believes this breaks the old model where people had to ask doctors and insurers for permission to understand their own bodies. As he told Time, 'The only way to do that is to have your own data, and not be limited by what you get at your doctor's.' The company is also aggressively scaling. After raising $53 million in a Series A round led by Andreessen Horowitz's Bio + Health fund, with additional backing from Draft Ventures, G9 Ventures, and 53 Stations, Fierce Healthcare reports, Function is seeking $200 million more to fuel growth, according to CNBC. Read Next:'Scrolling To UBI' — Deloitte's #1 fastest-growing software company allows users to earn money on their phones. Image: Shutterstock UNLOCKED: 5 NEW TRADES EVERY WEEK. Click now to get top trade ideas daily, plus unlimited access to cutting-edge tools and strategies to gain an edge in the markets. Get the latest stock analysis from Benzinga? APPLE (AAPL): Free Stock Analysis Report TESLA (TSLA): Free Stock Analysis Report This article Function Health Acquires Ezra, Launches $499 Full-Body MRI Scan Backed By Matt Damon, Pedro Pascal, And Kevin Hart originally appeared on © 2025 Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.
Time Magazine
08-05-2025
- Health
- Time Magazine
Mark Hyman
Your blood holds a lot of secrets. Some you find out too late. Dr. Mark Hyman co-founded Function Health, a personalized health testing platform, to protect against that outcome. 'Health care is missing the boat on a lot of really important things,' says the preventive medicine guru, who founded the Cleveland Clinic Center for Functional Medicine. 'There are things you can manage yourself that will help you feel better and live longer.' For $499 per year, Function Health customers get two rounds of testing: an initial assessment with more than 100 blood tests, and then three to six months later, a follow-up including 60-plus retests to see how your numbers are changing. The biomarkers that are tested offer a status update on heart, thyroid, metabolic, kidney, and liver health, along with essential nutrients, heavy metal exposures, and more, far exceeding the basic panels most primary care doctors stick to. While no treatment guidance is provided based on results, Function members receive personalized insights that flag what to follow up on, in addition to suggested dietary tweaks and supplements to consider. Some doctors believe handing over that much data to patients is a slippery slope: Subtle changes or irregularities in the biomarkers Function tests don't always mean anything, but could lead members down a rabbit hole of additional (costly) testing or into full-blown health anxiety. The Function team argues it's necessary to create a holistic view of well-being. 'The average doctor doesn't think about how to create health,' Hyman says. 'They think about how to treat diseases. Unless you're empowered with your own health data, and the knowledge and information about what to do with it, you're in a health care system that's waiting around.' Function Health, he says, offers a better approach: 'You become the CEO of your own health.'
