Scientists discover the hidden risks of full-body scans
Why celebrity health advice may not be the best thing for you
Recently, Kim Kardashian shared her full-body MRI scan on Instagram, praising its benefits and recommending her followers try it.
Even if the idea sounds tempting, who doesn’t want to be particularly safe when it comes to their health? – but medical experts warn that these scans could do more harm than good for most people.
Scans could give you nothing to worry about
Matthew Davenport, a doctor who specializes in using medical imaging like MRI to diagnose diseases, says these scans often turn up “incidental findings.”
These are small curiosities that are not normally found and do no harm. Approximately 15 to 30% of all scans show at least one of these findings.
Davenport says this type of screening is more likely to detect slow-growing or non-growing diseases rather than dangerous, fast-spreading diseases. You may end up worrying a lot about something that isn’t actually a big deal.
Patients who experience these incidental findings often have to undergo unnecessary treatments. These treatments can be costly, cause stress, and sometimes even be physically harmful.
Davenport points out: “Most of these small problems do not require treatment. Trying to treat them can actually cause more problems, both emotionally and physically.”
Put simply, a scan like this could make you think you are sicker than you are, which can leave you feeling stressed and anxious.
It could even result in you undergoing further tests or treatments that you don’t really need, wasting both time and money.
Know when a scan is really necessary
Doctors don’t recommend a full-body MRI scan for everyone. These scans are usually only recommended for people who have a specific medical history that warrants them.
If you are at high genetic risk for certain dangerous cancers or have symptoms of serious illness, medical imaging may be right for you.
Before beginning treatment, it is important to speak to your primary care provider about any concerns you may have.
Your doctor can guide you along the best path to diagnosis and treatment, weighing the risks and benefits of different approaches.
Ignorance can sometimes be bliss
For most people, knowing every little detail about the inner workings of their body may not be beneficial. If a scan reveals things that aren’t causing problems, you may be worried for no good reason.
In fact, according to Davenport, the emotional distress caused by false alarms often outweighs the benefit for the majority of patients.
“There is a reason why no major medical society recommends whole-body MRI screening for people who are generally healthy and do not show symptoms of disease,” Davenport adds.
So the next time a celebrity offers medical advice, remember that what works for them may not be best for you.
If you are concerned about your health, the first step should be a conversation with your doctor rather than an expensive, potentially unnecessary and anxiety-inducing exam.
If you care about your heart health, please read studies showing that vitamin K helps reduce the risk of heart disease by a third and that a year of exercise can reverse worrisome heart failure.
For more heart health information, check out recent studies on supplements that can prevent heart disease and stroke. The results show that this food ingredient can greatly increase the risk of death from heart disease.
The research results can be found in the American Journal of Roentgenology.
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