Empirical Heart Health - Don't die of a heart attack
Measure, predict, and prevent your risk of heart disease. Start with 85+ biomarkers for $190, then build a personalized action plan using your results and data from your Apple Watch, Fitbit, Samsung, and Pixel.
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Empirical Health
Hey everyone! We’re Brandon, Raquel, Harish, and Wyatt—we’re a team of doctors and engineers here to help you improve your heart health. We previously worked at Kaiser, Google, and Apple, and ran one of the first studies to use deep learning to detect abnormal heart rhythms using the Apple Watch's heart rate sensor.
Heart disease kills more people than all cancers combined—but it’s also the area of health most in your control. 80% of heart attacks can be avoided, and your risk is predictable using statistical models up to 30 years in advance.
Today, we’re launching Empirical’s heart health program across 30+ states, reaching over 200 million people.
Measure
We're offering a $190 test measuring 85+ biomarkers—available at 2,200+ locations nationwide. This includes key biomarkers like:
* ApoB: every 10 mg/dL drop cuts heart disease risk by 9%
* Lp(a): up to 6x more atherogenic than regular LDL
* Cholesterol & Triglycerides: core inputs into heart attack risk predictors.
Predict
Next, we show how your heart attack risk could change by age 70—
* If you do nothing
* If you follow a tailored plan with medication, diet, and exercise
Many people cut their risk by 50% or more with the right changes.
Prevent
Then, we help you build a personalized action plan.
“Eat less red meat.” “Eat more greens.” You’ve heard it all before. This is different. We build a biomarker-driven nutrition plan tailored to your bloodwork—targeting the exact nutrients that matter for your heart. These tailored plans have been shown in the medical literature to be about twice as effective as a simple "eat more fruits and vegetables" diet.
And tracking? Just snap a photo of your meal. We’ll use AI to analyze nutrients like fiber, potassium, sodium, saturated fat, and more.
Help us save one million people from heart disease by 2027--spread the word or get your results now.
@bballinger Would love to see a follow-up service for people without easy access to testing locations.
Empirical Health
@masump that's a great idea!
@bballinger congrats on the launch! Really awesome mission and a critical problem to tackle globally. I'm curious what’s the core difference between this and standard lipid panels or annual bloodwork? Is it mostly that it’s more comprehensive than what most PCPs order, leading to better insights? And on the plan side, can users upload existing bloodwork or it only works with the test offered?
Empirical Health
@brendanciccone yes, folks can upload existing blood work within our iPhone or Android app. You can upload either a PDF, or connect with your health records on iOS. (We plan to support Android health records when it launches later this year.)
A typical lipid panel measures cholesterol -- LDL, HDL, triglycerides, etc. That's all well and good (those are inputs into heart attack risk models), but they fall short of the state of the art. In particular:
ApoB is a more accurate marker of heart disease than LDL cholesterol, since each atherogenic particle contains one ApoB molecule.
Lp(a) is genetically-determined marker of heart disease risk, stable by the age of 5, and each particle
Inflammation is quite important for heart health -- hs-CRP is an independent marker of cardiovascular disease but isn't part of a standard lipid panel.
These advanced biomarkers give you a much more accurate picture of your heart health -- and still only require the same blood draw as a standard lipid panel!
@bballinger that's awesome and definitely makes a lot of sense! I figured your standard bloodwork was less insightful. Again, huge congrats on your launch!
Empirical Health
@brendanciccone thank you!
@bballinger Pretty cool that you also test for Lp(a)! I just was reading about that in the last couple of weeks. :)
What are the top predictive markers you test for that wouldn't be typically included in a routine physical for a non-senior citizen?
Empirical Health
@qix0tic aside from Lp(a), Apob, hs-CRP (inflammation), and the various nutrients (iron, potassium, etc) usually aren't part of a routine physical (and are usually denied by insurance).
@bballinger This looks really useful. Making heart health easier to track and understand is a big step forward. Excited to see how Empirical helps more people stay healthy.
Wow your tagline is really straightforward! I don't want to die of a heart attack too 😂
Is your product made especially for patients or elderlys, or for all people(who don't want to die)?
By the way, congratulations @bballinger!
Empirical Health
@pritraveler Empirical is for anyone with a heart. :)
A lot of people do encourage their parents to try it, since as you alluded to, risk of heart disease does go up as we get older.
Telebugs
Congrats on the launch! It looks polished! Do you think I should run this by my doctor first, or is it safe to use right away?
Empirical Health
@kyrylosilin never hesitate to run things but your doctor, but the blood test panel is designed to be an appropriate preventive screen for anybody. It's done by a phlebotomist at any of 2,000+ lab locations nation-wide. We also have doctors on staff who order the tests, and do follow up video visits to explain the results and prescribe medication if necessary.
When you say launching in 30+ states, does that mean I can get prescriptions if I'm in one of those states? Are your doctors part of any insurance provider networks? Or if out-of-network, will you do the legwork to check if my plan includes the prescription in its formulary and file for payment on my behalf, or is everything out of pocket first and up to me to file a claim?
Empirical Health
@qix0tic Our doctors are licensed in 30+ states and can provide prescriptions if needed based on your bloodwork or symptoms. We're in-network with most major insurance carriers including Anthem / Elevance, Aetna, HealthNet, and United Healthcare. The lab test is cash pay, but your follow-up appointment and medications may be covered depending on your plan.
Nice! Has Bryan Johnson seen this?
Empirical Health
@marcelokunze not yet! But I think he'd be interested. Do you know him? :D
@bballinger Yeah let me text my buddy Bryan! No, just kidding I don't sadly... But congrats with the launch man, looking nice!
Empirical Health
@marcelokunze :)
RevOps Deal Studio
Empirical Health
@etsaii If there were only two biomarkers for heart health, then ApoB and Lp(a) are the two most important. ApoB is basically a more accurate measure of heart attack risk than LDL cholesterol. And Lp(a) is a genetically-determined risk.
If I can do a third, I'd do inflammation. :)
Roger
Does the initial test measure biomarkers that change over time? Is it helpful to go back for testing periodically?
Empirical Health
@garrett_wu most biomarkers do change in response to diet, medication, and exercise.
For example, ApoB is the best measure of heart disease risk -- it'll change if you reduce saturated fat, increase fiber, and (of course) try a cholesterol-lowering medication.
hs-CRP is inflammation -- it'll change if you change alcohol consumption and remove refined carbs.
The one exception is Lp(a), which is roughly your genetic risk of heart disease. That's stable through your lifetime (although there are drugs currently being trialed to lower it!).
Awesome vision!!! Amazing launch!!!
Empirical Health
@chris_shu1 thank you!
Really love the mission behind this! Making heart health more accessible and personalized with data-driven insights is such a meaningful step. Excited to see the impact this creates.
Empirical Health
@divyansh_tiwari7 thanks Divyansh! Our goal is save one million people from heart disease. Let me know if you have feedback as you try the product!
The Empirical heart health initiative is a remarkable convergence of medical insight and engineering excellence. It’s a powerful reminder that data-driven healthcare can truly transform lives.
Empirical Health
@kay_arkain thanks, we think so too! Let me know if you have any feedback on the product.
Opkit
Empirical Health
@justin_ko thank you! We think so too. :)
This seems like a really cool extension of the service! You've made the comprehensive panel obviously the most compelling-looking in the app, but would it be possible to make it easier to see what subsets of the comprehensive are covered in the Core blood/adv cardio/core cardio? e.g. maybe color code each and show the respective colors wherever they overlap. I presume the comprehensive is just the union of all the other biomarkers possibly testable.
How do the biomarker tests play with the Empirical Pro subscriptions if at all?
And do you all have any recommendation on how frequently I should retest? e.g. is it realistic that I could make significant improvements in key markers 3 months later if I were curious?
Very cool launch!
How is it different than the regular annual exam I get from my doctor?
Empirical Health
@yutong_pei1 A few reasons!
Most annual exams don't include comprehensive lab testing. For example, ApoB and Lp(a) are important predictors of cardiovascular risk but aren't traditionally ordered in an annual exam.
You can quantify how specific actions, like taking a statin or reducing saturated fat, reduce your risk of a heart attack by age 70. These predictions aren't generic, they're based on your actual biomarkers and medical history.
You'll get a customized action plan based on your bloodwork with nutrition and exercise goals, and can easily track your progress in the app.
Combining wearables with insights is brilliant! 👀
Empirical Health
@shenjun Thanks for the support!
This looks awesome! I’ve had blood work done before, but it always felt like there wasn’t enough information to get a full picture. I love that you’re measuring so many different biomarkers, and the personalized health plan seems way more useful than the usual advice. Definitely looking into this! Keep it up!
Empirical Health
@alsng thanks Alvin! Let us know what you think when you've had a chance to try things out.
Codejet
Love how Empirical combines wearable data with comprehensive biomarkers to create a personalized heart health plan. Curious—how do you ensure the accuracy of data from various devices like Apple Watch and Fitbit?
Empirical Health
@patpijanowski Great question! We've written a ton of deep dives on the accuracy of each individual sensor (and potential sources of error). Here are a few examples:
How Apple Watch estimates VO2Max to 1.2 ml/kg/min without a treadmill test
Apple Watch's heart rate monitor is accurate to 5bpm 89-98% of the time
How wearables detect 89% of severe sleep apnea (but are less accurate for moderate sleep apnea)
And some on the limitations of the sensors: calories (less accurate), deep sleep (directionally correct, but sometimes underestimates), REM sleep (same), why Apple Watch's ECG can't detect heart attacks (even in theory--it's only Lead I). For the sensors that are less accurate or have limitations, we use the signal from the wearable as a potential clue, but rely on a medical-grade test to actually diagnose. For example, we'll order an at-home sleep apnea test for people which can measure more channels of data, which are required to actually diagnose sleep apnea.
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This product can certainly save the lives of a lot of folks... Best of luck for this launch, @Empirical Health Team!
Looking forward to this product. Heart health is especially important for most of developers. I get regular checkups every year, and I hope this app can help with preventing heart disease. Also, one suggestion: the overall UI of the current interface could be further optimized. Many of the spacing ratios are uncomfortable to look at.
Empirical Health
@hi_caicai Thanks for the support and suggestion!
WorkHub
Empirical Health
@moaz_ahmad $190 for 85 biomarkers. As a comparison, the retail price of all of the labs is $1,490 and most online services bundling this many biomarkers charge $500 or more.