Your blood test results just got a lot more useful — if you know how to use them
Most people who get lab work done receive a PDF, glance at the numbers, and have no idea what half of them mean. Function Health is trying to change that. On March 20, 2026, the Austin-based health data company announced that its members will soon be able to connect their lab results and clinician-reviewed summaries directly into Perplexity Health, one of the most capable AI health platforms available today. The result is a personalised health intelligence layer that turns raw biological data into answers people can actually understand and act on.
This is not just a product feature. It is a signal about where personalised healthcare is heading.
What Function Health actually does, explained simply
Function Health gives members access to more than 160 lab tests for $365 per year. That includes tests covering the heart, hormones, thyroid, liver, kidneys, heavy metals, nutrient levels, inflammation, and potential cancer signals. Members get tested twice a year and receive their results through an intelligent interface with clinician-reviewed summaries explaining what the numbers mean and what to do about them.
The company serves hundreds of thousands of members across all 50 states. For context, a comparable panel of lab tests ordered through a traditional healthcare system would typically cost thousands of dollars and require multiple specialist referrals. Function has compressed that into an annual membership that most people can afford.
The Perplexity Health connector takes that data one step further. Once connected, members can bring their lab results, clinician summaries, activity data, and medical records into Perplexity’s AI platform and ask questions in plain language. Instead of staring at a cholesterol panel wondering what an LDL of 142 actually means for someone with your specific hormone levels and inflammation markers, you can ask directly and get a contextualised answer grounded in your own biology.
Why personalised AI health data is genuinely different from generic health advice
There is no shortage of health information online. The problem is that almost none of it is personalised. When you search for information about a lab result, you get population-level averages and general guidance that may or may not apply to you specifically. Your age, your other biomarkers, your medication history, and your lifestyle all affect what a given number actually means for your health trajectory.
This is where AI connected to personal health data changes the equation. According to the National Institutes of Health, personalised medicine approaches that integrate individual biological data consistently outperform generalised treatment protocols across a range of conditions. The gap between what population-level guidelines recommend and what is optimal for a specific individual can be significant, particularly for chronic conditions like cardiovascular disease, metabolic syndrome, and hormonal imbalances.
The McKinsey Health Institute has estimated that better use of existing health data could prevent millions of premature deaths annually, with the primary barrier being not data availability but data accessibility and interpretation. Function’s model directly attacks that barrier by making comprehensive lab data affordable, understandable, and now connectable to AI tools that can help members act on it.
The Perplexity Health partnership is part of a deliberate connector strategy
The announcement frames the Perplexity integration as the latest in a growing portfolio of AI connectors. Function is not building a single closed platform. It is building infrastructure that lets members bring their health data into whatever AI tools they already use and trust. That open approach is strategically smart.
Health data is only valuable if people actually engage with it. By meeting members in the AI environments they are already using, Function dramatically increases the likelihood that lab results lead to informed decisions rather than sitting unread in an app. The connector model also means that as AI health tools improve, Function members benefit automatically without needing Function itself to rebuild its entire analysis layer.
Perplexity Health is a credible partner for this kind of integration. Its platform is specifically designed for health queries, with sourcing and citation built in to support accurate, verifiable answers rather than the kind of confident misinformation that has plagued general-purpose AI health tools.
What this means for the future of preventive healthcare
Function’s broader mission is to help people live 100 healthy years. That goal requires catching problems early, when interventions are most effective, rather than treating disease after it has already progressed. Comprehensive, frequent lab testing combined with AI interpretation tools is one of the most practical paths toward that kind of proactive health management.
The World Health Organization estimates that 80% of premature heart disease, stroke, and type 2 diabetes cases are preventable with early detection and lifestyle intervention. The barrier for most people is not willingness but access: access to testing, access to interpretation, and access to personalised guidance that tells them what to do with the information.
Function’s $365 annual membership and its growing AI connector ecosystem are a direct attempt to democratise that access. When lab results connect seamlessly to AI tools that can explain them in plain language and suggest actionable steps, preventive healthcare stops being the exclusive domain of people who can afford concierge medicine. That shift matters for public health far beyond the hundreds of thousands of people currently using Function.
Sources
- National Institutes of Health — Personalised Medicine
- McKinsey Health Institute — Adding Years to Life
- World Health Organization — Noncommunicable Diseases
- Function Health — Official Press Release via PRNewswire
Editorial disclosure
This article is based on a press release issued by Function Health and has been independently rewritten and editorially expanded. It covers a health data integration partnership between Function Health and Perplexity Health in the personalised healthcare and health technology sector. This article discusses health data tools and AI-powered health information. It does not constitute medical advice. Market context is sourced from the National Institutes of Health, the McKinsey Health Institute, and the World Health Organization. Commentary reflects the author’s own assessment. The information provided on this website is for informational and educational purposes only. Our content is derived strictly from verified online sources to ensure accuracy and objectivity. This analysis does not constitute financial, investment, or professional advice. Readers are encouraged to consult with qualified professionals before making decisions based on this information. For more information, please see our full DISCLAIMER.
