Celebrities like Kim Kardashian are promoting expensive, full-body scans that can reportedly test for more than 500 diseases.
As conditions like cancer rise in the US, especially among younger people, companies offering these services claim it’s worth the $2,500 price tag.
However, experts have serious doubts about the evidence that they work and fear that the scans, which are not covered by insurance, play on the paranoia of today’s health-conscious population.
Prenuvo is one of the growing healthcare startups offering MRI scans for $2,500. They claim MRI scans can detect cancer and other chronic diseases years before symptoms appear.
Kim Kardashian posted on Instagram about her full-body MRI scan from Prenuvo, claiming the technology is “life-saving.” However, doctors warn there’s no evidence it works
This July 2024 Prenuvo photo shows an MRI scanner that uses magnetic fields to produce detailed images of organs, bones and other structures inside the body. Unlike many other types of scans, MRIs do not use radiation
It appeared in a sponsored post on Kim Kardashian’s Instagram page, where she described it as “life-saving.” Prenuvo has also been promoted by Cindy Crawford.
Dr. Daniel Durand, radiologist and medical director of Prenuvo, told the AP: “We’re trying to give people the opportunity to be more proactive about their health.”
“The Prenuvo full-body scan has the ability to detect cancer and diseases like aneurysms in the earliest stages, before symptoms appear,” she wrote on Instagram. “It actually saved one of my friends [sic] lives and I just wanted to share them.’
However, experts warn that the technology is not worthwhile for the average patient who is healthy and has no symptoms.
MRI, which stands for Magnetic Resonance Imaging, uses magnetic fields to create detailed images of organs, bones and other structures in the body, without using radiation.
They are commonly used to diagnose cancer, brain injuries, damaged blood vessels and other medical conditions.
A full-body scan can take an hour or more, with the patient lying motionless in a cylindrical tube.
Most experts recommend routine whole-body scans only for certain risk groups, such as people with an increased genetic risk of cancer.
Dr. Ernest Hawk, vice chairman of the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, told the AP: “MRI scans are great for what they’re normally used for.
‘But now you move them to an average risk group much sooner, and there you can encounter questions that have not yet been answered.’
According to Dr. Mina Makary, a radiologist at the Ohio State Wexner Medical Center, the chances of finding a serious problem, such as a cancerous tumor or brain aneurysm, in someone without symptoms are slim.
To definitively rule out a problem, additional tests, appointments, and even surgery may be necessary.
“You’re going to end up finding a lot of incidental things,” she said. “That’s going to create more psychological stress or trauma for the patient, including additional costs for tests and procedures that may have risks.”
Actress and singer Kate Hudson has also written about her experience with the full body scan
Actress Eva Mendes has also undergone a full-body Prenuvo scan, though she acknowledged it was unaffordable for most people
Experts also fear that people who undergo MRI scans may skip other routine tests, such as mammograms.
The American College of Radiology advises against MRI screening in people without symptoms. According to the college, there is “no documented evidence” that the technique is “cost-efficient or effective in prolonging life.”
The FDA has not approved MRI machines for preventive screening, but doctors are free to use the devices however they wish.
“This is not an appropriate screening tool for a multitude of human diseases and potentially emerging conditions,” Dr. Stuart Fischer, an internist in New York City, previously told DailyMail.com. “It is not a screening tool.”
According to Dr. Fischer, preventive MRIs miss many diseases that are more common in the U.S., including diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, hypertension and high cholesterol.
For example, the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) estimates that diabetes was responsible for more than 400,000 deaths worldwide in 2021.
“These abnormalities are never seen in a screening MRI,” says Dr. Fischer.
Prenuvo recently announced plans to screen 100,000 people and study their health over time.
The study is expected to be completed by 2034 at the latest.
Most people who enroll in Prenuvo’s study are expected to pay $2,200. But eventually, academic or government studies could offer individuals the chance to participate in such research without having to pay for it themselves.
“This is a great area to participate in a study that may give you the information you’re looking for while also helping answer the question of whether this is useful or not,” Dr. Hawk said.
“But there is no point in doing this outside of an investigation.”