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MRI Reveals Junk Food’s Toll, RT Vacancies, and AI Evidence Grows
July 28, 2025
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Together with
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“All radiologists with productivity-based pay will, from time to time, fall into the money-printing trap. It’s as if you sit in the Federal Reserve, spinning an infinite money printer. If you stop spinning, the cash-flow stops.”
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Christoph Agten, MD, MSK radiologist and author of The Last Radiologist.
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AI is breathing new life into general radiography, radiology’s bread and butter modality. In this Imaging Wire Show, we discuss how AI is helping radiologic technologists improve their X-ray workflow with imaging quality specialist Zachary Carr and Lory Hines of Siemens Healthineers.
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As the U.S. government weighs a regulatory crackdown on ultra-processed food, a new study indicates the feds may be on to something. Researchers used MRI to discover that people who consumed more ultra-processed food had higher levels of carotid arterial plaque – a risk factor for cardiovascular disease.
The FDA and the USDA on July 23 announced the start of a new initiative to investigate the risks of ultra-processed foods and their relationship to chronic diseases such as obesity, heart disease, and cancer.
- The project is widely seen as a priority of HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. and his Make America Healthy Again movement.
Meanwhile, arterial plaque buildup is a sign of atherosclerosis and has been linked to multiple clinical conditions, from stroke to intraplaque hemorrhage.
In the new paper in American Journal of Preventive Cardiology, researchers noted the established association between adverse cardiovascular events and consumption of ultra-processed food and beverages, but the association with subclinical disease hasn’t been explored.
- So researchers reviewed carotid MRI scans of 768 participants from the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities study, in which subjects also described their dietary intake with a 148-item questionnaire.
MRI scans were correlated with dietary habits, finding that compared to the lowest quartile, people in the highest quartile of ultra-processed food consumption had…
- Greater total arterial wall volume.
- Greater total lipid core volume and maximum lipid core area.
- Higher maximum segmental wall thickness.
No correlation was found between arterial plaque and other types of diet measures, such as carbohydrate and fat intake or glycemic load index.
- The findings suggest that much of the negative health effect from ultra-processed foods comes from their contribution to arterial plaque buildup, which could occur through their unfavorable nutrient profile leading to alterations in blood lipids.
The Takeaway
In today’s hyperpolarized political environment – in which scientific inquiry is often subordinated to already-solidified beliefs – the new findings connecting MRI measurements of carotid artery plaque to ultra-processed foods offer a foundation for public policy changes that could indeed improve the health of Americans.
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Building an Enterprise Imaging Ecosystem
What’s the best way to bring smaller clinics and rural hospitals into your enterprise imaging ecosystem? Find out how MultiCare Health System did it in this white paper from Merge.
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Top Productivity Tools for Radiologists
Radiologists today face growing demands for speed, collaboration, and accuracy. Watch this on-demand webinar to learn from clinical and IT leaders from the University of Michigan Health – Sparrow and AGFA HealthCare as they share the top tools helping radiologists work smarter.
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- RT Vacancies Near All-Time High: The number of open positions for radiologic technologists remains close to an all-time high, although vacancy rates declined for some modalities. The latest ASRT staffing and workplace survey compared 2025 vacancy rates to 2023, finding the highest rate was among CT technologists (19.4% vs. 17.7%). Rates also rose for MRI (17.4% vs. 16.2%), while declining for radiography (15.6% vs. 18.1%), sonography (12.4% vs. 16.7%), mammography (11.4% vs. 13.6%), and nuclear medicine (12.6% vs. 14.5%).
- A Blueprint for CTC Screening: With Medicare now paying for CT colonography cancer screening, a new study in AJR offers benchmarks for hospitals, summing up data acquired over 20 years of CTC screening at one of the test’s pioneers, the University of Wisconsin. Researchers screened 9.2k patients without symptoms, with detection rates varying by polyp size: ≥ 6 mm (16%), 10-29 mm (5.7%), and masses ≥ 3 cm (0.6%). Incidence rates were 0.2% for adenocarcinoma and 4% for advanced adenoma.
- CT Lung Screening and Pollution: Not all lung cancers occur in people who smoke. A new paper in Environmental Research shows that CT scans found nodules among people exposed to air pollution. Researchers in China scanned 19.4k individuals as part of a lung cancer screening project, discovering that those exposed to higher levels of fine PM2.5 particulate matter had more lung nodules and a higher rate of positive nodules. Exposure to sulfate and black carbon was highly associated with nodule risk.
- Feds Release AI Action Plan: The Trump Administration last week released a 22-page action plan for AI implementation across U.S. industries that mostly avoids specifics for healthcare AI. The document acknowledges the slow pace of healthcare AI adoption, and advocates less regulation and a “try-first” culture for AI usage. It recommends the establishment of AI Centers of Excellence where researchers, startups, and enterprises can deploy and test AI while sharing results.
- Open-Source AI for Reporting: Open-source AI models for radiology reporting could work just as well as commercially available solutions and could be an alternative to models based on ChatGPT. That’s according to a new paper in npj Digital Medicine that used synthetic data to fine-tune open-source large language models for text-to-data conversion in radiology reporting. In tests for reporting 50 free-text thyroid nodule dictations, open-source AI algorithms were comparable to ChatGPT 3.5/4 in converting free text to ACR TI-RADS templates.
- AIRS Ramps Up LatAm Presence: MRI enhancement company AIRS Medical signed several partnerships that ramp up distribution of their AI-powered SwiftMR solution in Latin America. From a start in Brazil, AIRS has expanded to sign additional distribution partners including: Simbioxia in Argentina, Medizintechnik and Evolutive Medica in Chile, Simbioxia in Mexico, and Evolutive Medica in Peru.
- POCUS Probe Pushes High-Frequency Envelope: Fujifilm Sonosite launched a new point-of-care ultrasound transducer that pushes the envelope for high-frequency imaging. The UHF46-20 operates at 46 MHz and is designed to provide unprecedented clarity and detail in superficial imaging of the first 1-2 cm beneath the skin. UHF46-20 can identify structures smaller than 1 mm, such as superficial nerves and vessels, and is available on the company’s Sonosite LX POCUS scanner.
- GE’s X-Ray: GE HealthCare launched a new digital radiography system designed for high-throughput settings. Definium Pace Select ET is a floor-mounted X-ray system with image quality comparable to more expensive ceiling-mounted systems. It also includes automation features like automated positioning, protocol selection, and collimation to improve workflow for radiologic technologists, as well as GE’s Helix advanced image processing technology.
- FDA Clears TAVI Guidance Software: The FDA cleared software from French medical device developer Caranx Medical for intraoperative guidance of transcatheter heart valve implantation. Caranx’s TAVIPILOT Soft targets the $8B market for TAVI procedures and aims to make the procedure available to additional patients and interventional cardiology centers. The AI solution enables real-time intraoperative guidance using medical images and anatomical and instrument landmarks. Caranx is also developing an autonomous robot designed to assist with TAVI procedures.
- Philips Joins Cancer Innovation Center: Philips is participating in a consortium of Dutch healthcare providers and imaging vendors to foster innovation in cancer care. The IMAGINE consortium has received €54M from the Dutch Research Council and other partners to improve clinical adoption of new technologies for imaging and image-guided therapy, with researchers collaborating within hospital environments.
- Evidence Backing AI Grows: How much peer-review evidence is there backing the performance of commercially available AI algorithms? A new study in European Radiology from the folks at Health AI Register found that not only did the number of AI products with the CE Mark grow 73% from 2020 to 2023 (173 vs. 100), but the proportion of products with peer-reviewed evidence grew as well (66% vs. 36%). Researchers also saw an increase in products supported by evidence of technical feasibility or diagnostic accuracy (31% vs. 18%).
- New AI Launches Plunge in Europe: Meanwhile, the same study in European Radiology found that new imaging AI product introductions in Europe peaked in 2020 and then plunged afterward. Researchers found steady growth from 2016 to a peak of 44 new CE-certified products in 2020, but introductions fell to 24 in 2021 and just four in 2022. Authors blamed a combination of “market saturation reducing investor interest” and the launch of the MDR regulatory scheme for medical products, which introduced more stringent regulatory requirements.
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Introducing Voice-Controlled Interventional X-Ray
United Imaging’s uAngio AVIVA is the industry’s first intelligent voice-controlled interventional X-ray system, enabling interventional staff to keep their focus where it belongs: on the patient. Discover AVIVA’s advantages on this page.
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Revolutionize the Reading Experience
With intelligent automation and AI‑powered workflow, PowerScribe One from Microsoft allows radiologists to generate and communicate high‑quality, consistent reports – and get more done in less time.
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Unprecedented Insights Made Possible with AI
With the largest normative dataset of whole-body imaging in the world, Prenuvo’s AI researchers partner with the best academic minds to understand – like never before – what “normal” aging means. Learn about their work today.
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- Making the Switch to Helium-Free MRI: Register to watch this on-demand webinar hosted by Philips to learn how helium-free MRI systems are redefining what’s possible in imaging – enhancing clinical care, protecting long-term investments, and enabling smarter, more sustainable operations across your healthcare enterprise.
- Advancing AI-Driven Data Migration: Enlitic has joined forces with GE HealthCare to power the data migration feature in GE’s newly announced Genesis cloud portfolio. Learn how Enlitic’s AI-driven data migration facilitates large-scale transfers of high-quality medical imaging data.
- How to Standardize CT Images: The quality and appearance of CT scans can vary considerably. In this white paper from Riverain Technologies, find out how image normalization can standardize CT images, making them easier to analyze and interpret.
- Discover the Blackford Difference: AI is no longer a futuristic nice-to-have in healthcare, it’s an essential tool. Yet for many providers, the path forward with AI remains unclear. That’s where Blackford comes in – discover the difference today.
- The Advantages of Cloud-Based PACS: CloudPACS offers significant advantages to healthcare providers for enterprise imaging, including no on-premise requirements and enhanced reliability. Learn more about the advantages of CloudPACS in this talk from HIMSS 2025 by Visage Imaging’s Steve Deaton.
- AI for Pediatric Fracture Detection: Pediatric fractures are common but can be easily missed on radiography. Meanwhile, AI tools for fracture detection have mostly been tested in adults. Learn how Gleamer’s BoneView AI solution helped clinicians find fractures in kids in a recent research study.
- The Evolution of PACS: PACS has become the backbone of efficiency in modern radiology, evolving into sophisticated enterprise-wide imaging solutions. Discover how Intelerad’s IntelePACS can deliver the innovation, intelligence, and flexibility your imaging strategy needs by booking a demo.
- Discover AI Apps Curated by Body Regions: Discover how Calantic Digital Solutions by Bayer supports you in tackling radiology challenges through multiple stages of the patient’s journey by offering AI solutions curated for specific body regions. Learn more about Calantic today.
- Radiology Advocacy, Challenges, and Innovation: In this episode of The Radiology Report podcast, Medality CEO Daniel Arnold sits down with Reno Radiological Associates CEO Anthony Dispenziere to discuss the business behind independent radiology practice and what it takes to stay competitive in an increasingly complex healthcare landscape.
- Start at the Source to Improve MRI: Looking for ways to improve MRI speed and image quality while addressing broader concerns in healthcare? The answer may lie in proven MRI physics in your existing scanner – learn how to unlock it with STAGE from SpinTech MRI.
- Adding Digital Pathology to Enterprise Imaging: In this on-demand video from SIIM 2025 hosted by Mach7, watch as a panel of industry experts discusses how to add digital pathology images into a healthcare organization’s overall enterprise imaging strategy.
- Transforming Stroke Care with Mobile Stroke Units: When it comes to stroke, time is brain. And many providers are turning to CT-equipped mobile stroke units to slash the time from symptom onset to diagnosis and treatment. Learn more on this page from Siemens Healthineers.
- Singapore’s National AI Imaging Platform: AimSG, Singapore’s national radiology AI platform, is powered by CARPL to support third-party and in-house AI through a single, secure pipeline. See how CARPL powers healthcare across Singapore.
- New-generation Platform for Managing Multi-Omics Data: QP-Insights from Quibim is a new-generation advanced platform for the management, storage, and analysis of large-scale multi-omics data and medical images for clinical studies and research projects. Learn more on this page.
- DeepHealth Completes iCAD Acquisition: DeepHealth has completed its acquisition of mammography AI developer iCAD. Discover how the combination advances DeepHealth’s mission to address clinical and operational challenges in screening and diagnosis by harnessing the power of AI and imaging.
- How CHU Bordeaux Integrated AI into Their Echo Lab: Bordeaux University Hospital evaluated the real-world use of AI in echocardiography from Us2.ai. Results showed strong agreement between AI-generated and human measurements, particularly for ejection fraction and Doppler-based parameters, highlighting AI’s potential to streamline workflow and reduce variability.
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