The downsides of blood tests and full-body MRIs

New companies allow us to go around doctors and get blood work that checks for 100+ biomarkers or a full-body MRI to scan for cancer when we don’t have symptoms.

The idea of taking your health into your own hands and preventing disease with a direct-to-consumer test sounds perfect in theory.

But there are some downsides to consider if you test yourself, and knowing those downsides can help you get better health outcomes from the test.

To learn more, Michael chatted with Dr. Bobby Dubois—an M.D., researcher, and Ph.D. in health policy—about how we should think about direct-to-consumer blood tests and disease screenings.

They cover:

* Preventative tests that are currently available to consumers, from blood tests that check 100+ markers to full-body MRIs and blood screenings that detect cancer.

* The upsides of these tests.

* The differences between preventative, direct-to-consumer medical tests and doctor-ordered medical tests.

* Why the results of medical tests and scans aren’t perfect, and how those imperfections can lead to unnecessary stress, costs, procedures, and your ability to get life insurance.

* Understanding the math behind preventative blood testing—why you’re likely to have at least one blood marker out of range and why that can be misleading.

* What to do if you get a direct-to-consumer test and it comes back with abnormalities.

* How abnormalities in your results are like the credit card fraud alerts you get from your bank.

* What the data says about routine screenings compared to preventative full-body MRIs and direct-to-consumer blood tests.

* The three categories of cancer and how full-body MRIs are helpful for only one of them.

* The counterintuitive downsides of catching a certain category of cancer with a full body MRI.

* Questions to ask your doctor if they’d like you to get a medical test like a CAT scan, MRI, or special type of blood work.

* Bobby’s final thoughts on direct-to-consumer preventative medical tests.

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