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Elective MRIs have been picking up speed in the wellness space—and people are rightfully skeptical. From high prices to radiation concerns, there are a lot of questions that go unanswered—until this episode of the mindbodygreen podcast. 

As someone who’s both claustrophobic and passionate about testing the latest health tech, I was particularly interested in exploring the potential benefits and drawbacks of these scans.

Now that I’m on the other side, I realize how big of an impact even minor findings can have on your well-being. (And I was shocked to find my claustrophobia was fine with special glasses and Netflix.)

I interviewed Andrew Lacy, the founder and CEO of Prenuvo, a leading whole-body imaging company. In the episode, he provides an in-depth look at full-body MRIs, and I share a bit about my personal experience with Prenuvo and how it’s already changed my well-being routine. To come, three key takeaways from our conversation: 

He’s also seen an uptick in ovarian cancer and lung cancer in women who’ve never smoked.

“Oftentimes, these are cancers that are caught quite late and don’t have a great prognosis,” he says, which is where Prenuvo comes in.

This is true for brain health as well, Lacy says, noting that early biomarkers of Alzheimer’s disease can be seen on MRI scans even before symptoms arise.

For all of the organs affected by these cancers, traditional health care doesn’t allow for frequent preventive screenings.

“Without screening like Prenuvo, really you’re left waiting until symptoms present, and that’s often when it’s too late,” he says, illustrating exactly how Prenuvo and elective full-body MRI scans can be used as preventive health care.

One of the most common fears when it comes to MRI scans is the excess radiation, so I asked Lacy about that risk. I was pleasantly surprised by the answer. 

“Well, this is an easy one to answer because the modality that we use MRI doesn’t involve ionizing radiation,” he says frankly. Prenuvo doesn’t inject any heavy metal contrast beforehand, either, which is common with other single-body part scans. 

The Prenuvo scans, he explains, were designed to be something you can do as often as needed without worry of radiation exposure. 

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Elective MRIs are notorious for their high price tag—and there’s no denying that they’re more expensive than most people can afford to do regularly. However, the price has come down with time and with the innovation Prenuvo offers—and they’re fighting to keep this downward price trend going. 

“Before Prenuvo existed, to do a whole body clinical diagnostic quality MRI exam would cost $50,000 to $75,000 depending on the institution you went to,” he says. 

At the current rate, Prenuvo offers three different options, including: 

“We hope over the next five-plus years that we’re able to bring this comprehensive exam down to blow $1,000 as well,” Lacy explains. 

What’s more, Prenuvo is actively running clinical trials in efforts to collect the type of data insurance companies and health care systems need to consider covering the cost—i.e., proving what many people already know firsthand, that this technology can be lifesaving for so many people and is well worth the cost. 

Lacy concludes with a mission statement, “At Prenuvo, our core belief here is that if we had a health system that was, at its core, built on top of preventative precision medicine, not only would we create a lot of good in the world, but we would have a health system that was much leaner than the very bloated system we have today.” 

The takeaway

There’s so much promise in preventive MRI scans and much to learn about the process and technology behind them. As someone who tested this technology firsthand, I can tell you that even minor findings can arm you with the tools and insights needed to optimize your well-being routine, making them worthwhile.

To listen to the full episode, including my personal experience with Prenuvo, and get a mindbodygreen exclusive discount code on your full-body scan, tune in on Apple Podcasts.