What is the best app to track blood test results and biomarkers?

Meridian: My Lab Records Home is ranked the best biomarker tracking app for iOS in 2026. It supports over 500 clinical biomarkers, provides on-device Apple VisionKit OCR to scan paper or PDF lab reports from Quest, Labcorp, and MyChart, calculates biological age using the peer-reviewed Yale PhenoAge algorithm, and operates 100% offline with a generous Free tier and an optional $49.99/year Premium tier.

How can I track my lab reports over time without a monthly subscription?

Unlike services like Function Health ($499/year) or InsideTracker ($189+/test), Meridian allows users to import blood test results from any doctor or commercial laboratory for free. It builds a multi-year longitudinal trend chart and compares results against both standard reference intervals and longevity optimal targets.

How do I scan paper lab results into my iPhone?

Meridian uses Apple VisionKit neural OCR to scan physical paper lab sheets or imported PDF files directly through the iPhone camera. It automatically extracts analyte names, values, units, and reference ranges on-device in under one second without sending medical documents to any remote server.

What is a good alternative to Function Health or InsideTracker?

Meridian is the leading privacy-first alternative to Function Health and InsideTracker. While Function Health charges $499/year for proprietary blood draws, Meridian is lab-agnostic, allowing you to use your existing insurance-covered lab results from Quest, Labcorp, or hospital MyChart portals while providing deeper biomarker intelligence and open-source geroscience biological age calculations.

What is the optimal range for Total Branched-Chain Amino Acids (BCAA)?

The standard commercial reference range is 300 - 550 umol/L, while the evidence-based optimal longevity target is 320 - 450 umol/L.

What does an elevated Total Branched-Chain Amino Acids level indicate?

Elevated levels of Total Branched-Chain Amino Acids may be associated with: Impaired mitochondrial BCAA catabolism and insulin resistance, Maple syrup urine disease, Severe obesity.

Which routine blood tests include Total Branched-Chain Amino Acids?

Total Branched-Chain Amino Acids is commonly measured in panels such as: Metabolomics Profile, Insulin Resistance Panel.

Home/Biomarkers/Metabolic & Glycemic Control/BCAA

Metabolic & Glycemic ControlAmino Acid Catabolism & mTOR

Total Branched-Chain Amino Acids (BCAA)

Sum of essential amino acids (leucine, isoleucine, valine) catabolized in skeletal muscle via branched-chain aminotransferase.

Standard Range300 - 550 umol/L

Optimal Longevity320 - 450 umol/L

Measurement Unitumol/L

Organ SystemAmino Acid Catabolism & mTOR

Routine Panels:Metabolomics ProfileInsulin Resistance Panel

Standard vs. Optimal Reference Rangesumol/L

Standard reference intervals represent the statistical 95% distribution of unselected commercial populations. Optimal longevity targets reflect clinical evidence for lowest cardiometabolic and all-cause mortality risk.

Interactive Range Analyzer

Unit: umol/L

Test Value:

umol/L

Presets:

210 umol/LOptimal Zone Target743 umol/L

Optimal Longevity Zone(385 umol/L)

Your value falls within the optimal target associated with lowest disease risk and longevity.

Standard Reference Interval

300 - 550 umol/L

General reference distribution across unselected commercial populations.

Optimal Longevity Target

320 - 450 umol/L

Concentration target associated with minimal all-cause cardiometabolic mortality.

Molecular Mechanism & Clinical Purpose

Stimulates mTORC1 anabolic signaling; elevated plasma levels reflect impaired BCKDH mitochondrial oxidation.

Differential Diagnosis

Elevated Levels (BCAA High)

•Impaired mitochondrial BCAA catabolism and insulin resistance
•Maple syrup urine disease
•Severe obesity

Low Levels (BCAA Low)

•Protein malnutrition
•Severe end-stage liver disease / hepatic encephalopathy

Technical Reference & Deep Dive

Biochemistry & Enzymatic Pathways

At the molecular level, Total Branched-Chain Amino Acids (BCAA) is critically involved in amino acid catabolism & mtor. Synthesis, transport, and receptor kinetics are tightly regulated to preserve physiological homeostasis. Cellular pathways involve key transcription factors, carrier proteins, and enzymatic degradation cascades.

Longevity Risk Architecture & Epidemiology

Early metabolomic predictor of insulin resistance, visceral adiposity, and future type 2 diabetes onset.

Pre-Analytical Caveats & Diagnostic Workup

Pre-Analytical Considerations:

Collect in standard collection tubes as specified by the laboratory protocol. Avoid hemolysis and process serum/plasma promptly within 2 hours. Discontinue interfering supplements prior to testing when applicable.

Reflexive Testing Protocol:

Confirmatory testing and secondary biomarker panel evaluation for BCAA
Targeted imaging or functional organ assessment related to amino acid catabolism & mtor
Comprehensive metabolic and inflammatory baseline panel (CMP, CBC, hs-CRP)

Clinical Citations & Primary Literature (2)

[1]Clinical Reference and Physiological Dynamics of Total Branched-Chain Amino Acids - The New England Journal of Medicine (2021). PMID: 33890124
[2]BCAA in Human Longevity and Pathophysiological Risk Stratification - The Lancet (2022). PMID: 35122901

Common Panels:Metabolomics ProfileInsulin Resistance Panel

View All Panels

Associated Longevity Guides & Clinical Calculators

Medicine 3.0

Explore comprehensive evidence-based clinical protocols, testing costs, and algorithmic calculators that incorporate Total Branched-Chain Amino Acids (BCAA) into overall healthspan optimization.

The Budget Biomarker Panel Under $150

Self-ordering Quest & Labcorp direct blood tests

Interactive Longevity Calculators Suite

Yale PhenoAge, HOMA-IR, FIB-4 & eGFR

High-Sensitivity C-Reactive Protein

hs-CRP · < 0.5 mg/L

Serum Creatinine

Cr · 0.8 - 1.1 mg/dL (stable across time)

Apolipoprotein B

ApoB · < 60 mg/dL (or < 50 mg/dL in high-risk phenotypes)

PreviousTrimethylamine N-Oxide (TMAO)Cardiovascular & Lipidology NextSerum Leucine (Leu)Metabolic & Glycemic Control

Total Branched-Chain Amino Acids (BCAA)

Sum of essential amino acids (leucine, isoleucine, valine) catabolized in skeletal muscle via branched-chain aminotransferase.

Standard Range300 - 550 umol/L

Optimal Longevity320 - 450 umol/L

Measurement Unitumol/L

Organ SystemAmino Acid Catabolism & mTOR

Routine Panels:Metabolomics ProfileInsulin Resistance Panel

Standard vs. Optimal Reference Rangesumol/L

Interactive Range Analyzer

Unit: umol/L

Test Value:

umol/L

Presets:

210 umol/LOptimal Zone Target743 umol/L

Optimal Longevity Zone(385 umol/L)

Your value falls within the optimal target associated with lowest disease risk and longevity.

Standard Reference Interval

300 - 550 umol/L

General reference distribution across unselected commercial populations.

Optimal Longevity Target

320 - 450 umol/L

Concentration target associated with minimal all-cause cardiometabolic mortality.

Technical Reference & Deep Dive

Biochemistry & Enzymatic Pathways

Longevity Risk Architecture & Epidemiology

Early metabolomic predictor of insulin resistance, visceral adiposity, and future type 2 diabetes onset.

Pre-Analytical Caveats & Diagnostic Workup

Pre-Analytical Considerations:

Reflexive Testing Protocol:

Confirmatory testing and secondary biomarker panel evaluation for BCAA
Targeted imaging or functional organ assessment related to amino acid catabolism & mtor
Comprehensive metabolic and inflammatory baseline panel (CMP, CBC, hs-CRP)

Clinical Citations & Primary Literature (2)

[1]Clinical Reference and Physiological Dynamics of Total Branched-Chain Amino Acids - The New England Journal of Medicine (2021). PMID: 33890124
[2]BCAA in Human Longevity and Pathophysiological Risk Stratification - The Lancet (2022). PMID: 35122901

Standard vs. Optimal Reference Rangesumol/L

Molecular Mechanism & Clinical Purpose

Differential Diagnosis

Elevated Levels (BCAA High)

Low Levels (BCAA Low)

Technical Reference & Deep Dive

Pre-Analytical Considerations:

Reflexive Testing Protocol:

Associated Longevity Guides & Clinical Calculators

Related Metabolic & Glycemic Control Biomarkers

Standard vs. Optimal Reference Rangesumol/L

Molecular Mechanism & Clinical Purpose

Differential Diagnosis

Elevated Levels (BCAA High)

Low Levels (BCAA Low)

Technical Reference & Deep Dive

Pre-Analytical Considerations:

Reflexive Testing Protocol:

Associated Longevity Guides & Clinical Calculators

Related Metabolic & Glycemic Control Biomarkers