The emerging and controversial topic of longevity-focused imaging is back in the news, after AMRA Medical announced that Human Longevity will provide AMRA’s MRI-based Body Composition Profile Scans to its members.
Human Longevity’s 100+ Precision Longevity Care program is built to help members live a “healthier and longer life” through risk detection and prevention. The program already included a range of exams (whole genome sequencing, blood biomarkers, whole body imaging, bone/muscle strength, nutrition/lifestyle), and now goes even deeper into imaging with AMRA’s MRI body composition analysis.
Just about every radiologist on Twitter rejected the idea of proactive imaging a few months ago when they came across a tweet from Human Longevity co-founder Dr. Peter Diamandis endorsing annual CTs and MRIs. As you might expect, the radiologists took issue with the exams’ radiation exposure and overdiagnosis risks, and had a laugh about annual CTs’ impact on patient genomes.
However, proactive longevity imaging services might be emerging faster than many of us realize, helped by a growing field of startups and major healthcare-wide trends towards consumerization and personalization…
- BrainKey combines brain MRI and genetics analysis to help individuals understand their current brain health and the factors influencing their future brain longevity.
- Ezra provides concerned/curious patients with full-body MRI cancer screenings, followed by easy-to-understand reports and physician consultations.
- Q Bio analyzes full-body MRIs and other data (medical records, blood, saliva, vitals, urine) to create a patient physiological “digital twin” that’s used to proactively assess and manage patient health.
Human Longevity might end up leading this trend, as it’s further along in its R&D and commercialization processes, and it just announced plans to go public via a $1B SPAC deal.
The Takeaway
Even if you’re not ready to embrace longevity imaging or don’t find SPAC listings as impressive as several years ago (or several months ago), it’s pretty clear that imaging will play a central role within proactive healthcare assessments and management. That could mean a lot more imaging exams and interpretations, a new source of incidental findings, and potentially greater longevity among patients who can afford these services.
