Sam Blackburn

Reaching middle age and pondering his family medical history spurred Sam Blackburn to take steps to improve his health.

"My father died from a heart attack at age 59," says Sam. "I didn't want that family history to get the best of me too."

Sam sometimes felt winded and weighed more than he should have, so he visited his primary care physician for a checkup. Sam learned that his total blood cholesterol was 288 mg/dL — considerably higher than the recommended level of 200 or lower.

His physician referred him to a cardiology specialist at Mayo Clinic for specialized testing to determine if he was at high risk for atherosclerosis, a condition that can lead to chest pain and heart attack. Sam had blood tests, a CT scan and an exercise stress test, which revealed he had two elevated risk factors — lipoprotein (a) and C-reactive protein.

Sam began taking a statin medication to reduce his blood cholesterol and lower the potential threat to his health from the elevated risk factors. Sam also met with a dietitian and exercise specialist to develop programs tailored to his lifestyle to help him lose weight and improve his heart health.

Sam is determined to make sure he remains healthy. "Before I had the advanced cardiac testing, I was afraid to do heavy exercise because of my weight and how winded I felt," he says. "Now that I have been so thoroughly checked, I ride an exercise bike, lift weights, walk more and take the stairs."

Sam's resolve to be healthy has kept him flying high. "I'm a hot-air balloon pilot, and I didn't want to risk losing my pilot's license due to poor health," he says. "I'll do whatever is necessary to make sure I can still go up in my balloon and see the country from this unique vantage point."