Shutterstock/Iryna Inshyna
Would you get a full body MRI? Not because your doctor advised, but just to get a comprehensive health check? Recently, these scans, designed to either give you a clean bill of health or alert you to a previously undetected disease, including cancer, are popping up in private clinics. At a time when rates of some cancers are surging in younger people, who can blame those who can afford it if they opt for peace of mind?
And yet, full body MRIs may be more harmful than helpful. A 2019 review of studies, which included over 5000 asymptomatic participants, found that the proportion of people found to have a serious health issue, such as suspicious tumours, was on a par with the number of false positives. While a false positive might not do lasting harm, it can take a serious emotional toll and could lead to unnecessary surgical intervention.
This question of how much to know is at the heart of this week’s cover story (see, What’s my Alzheimer’s risk, and can I really do anything to change it?), which examines how much we can know about our individual risk of Alzheimer’s disease, particularly when it runs in the family. Tests to look for genes implicated in the condition are available, but Alzheimer’s organisations generally advise people against taking them because the presence of specific gene variants isn’t deterministic.
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Much of the time your health – and your wallet – could be better off without the tests
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Separately, there has been a rise in at-home tests for anything from liver health to your risk of developing various cancers. These are likely to tempt many of us with their promise of deeper health insights, but while these commercial tests may be helpful to some, it is important to remember that results may be inaccurate, and the findings might cause undue anxiety – because a heightened risk of a disease doesn’t mean you will develop it.
The tests themselves might seem quick and easy, but deciding whether to take them should be a slow and considered process, one for which you would be wise to consult a health professional. In some instances, your health – and your wallet – might be better off without them.
