The latest health craze among celebrities and the wealthy is a comprehensive full-body scan designed to catch life-threatening illnesses at their earliest stages.

Kim Kardashian recently took to Instagram to share her experience, revealing that her scan identified a brain aneurysm. Other celebrities, like Kate Hudson, have also shared their scans on social media. Last month, President Donald Trump claimed his scan results were exceptionally good.

However, beyond the steep price of these scans, medical professionals express concern over the overwhelming amount of information patients receive, which can leave them uncertain about next steps.

Critics argue that full-body scans can result in incidental discoveries that ultimately have no serious implications, yet they often lead to unnecessary worry and additional tests or procedures.

To explore this trend, Daily Mail journalists Alexa Lardieri and Elina Shirazi decided to try out services from Function Health and Prenuvo. Both sought clarity, though they confessed to feeling anxious about potential findings.

Andrew Lacy, Founder and CEO of Prenuvo, acknowledges the skepticism from the medical field but emphasizes his goal of equipping individuals with valuable insights into their health.

He told the Daily Mail: ‘I understand the concern. No one wants to over–medicalize healthy people or create unnecessary anxiety.’

‘However, the reality is that we’ve accepted a reactive model for too long. Proactive medicine isn’t about testing for the sake of it; it’s about using advanced, non–invasive tools responsibly to give people information they can act on.’

Kim Kardashian underwent a Prenuvo body scan and revealed it caught her brain aneurysm

Alexa: ‘I can finally stop worrying’

As a 32–year–old, fairly active person who eats a plant–based diet, I am considered healthy by many standards.

Still, diabetes, colon cancer and breast cancer run in my family, so wide-ranging blood tests and a scan are appealing.

Function Health was founded by former Cleveland Clinic physician Dr Mark Hyman, and for $365 a year, you can get more than 160 blood tests twice a year and additional specialized tests on demand.

Dr Hyman told the Daily Mail: ‘Our healthcare is massively broken, and people are struggling to try to figure out how to get healthy and people are increasingly sick from all sorts of things; the burden of chronic illness is huge, and we have a sick care system, not a healthcare system.’

The company also provides access to doctors and researchers who review and discuss your results with you, track labs over time and make a personalized health plan, including recommended foods to eat and avoid.

Function Health partners with Ezra, which provides clients with a full–body MRI, which costs an additional $500.

While the price tag may look steep, together these services could cost you more than $15,000 if you were to go the standard route, but Function Health has partnered with medical providers to negotiate a reduced fee. 

My Function Health journey began with two blood tests, one week apart. 

A phlebotomist took about a dozen tubes of blood for each test that looked at markers to measure the health of my liver, heart, thyroid, pancreas and other major organs, as well as nutrients and minerals. 

The results were encouraging. I am (almost) in perfect health. The labs revealed I am deficient in vitamin D (as is about 25 percent of the US), a vitamin responsible for strong bones, immune health and brain and muscle function. 

Ezra, the company that provides Function Health’s clients with the full–body scan, gives people branded pajamas to wear while they undergo their test

My blood tests revealed 95 markers tested were in range, while four were out of range. Based on these results, Function Health estimated my age to be a little younger than 22 years old

Dr Hyman suggested an easy fix: a vitamin D supplement.  

Additionally, I had slightly below–normal levels of HDL large particles (6419 nmol/L compared to normal, which is anything above 6729 nmol/L).

These particles in the blood remove excess cholesterol from the arteries and prevent plaque buildup, a risk factor for heart disease and stroke. 

My other cholesterol markers were in range so Dr Hyman said this should be monitored, but it’s nothing to worry about now. 

I also had low levels of omega-3 fatty acids, EPA, DHA, and DPA-5.1, compared to the in-range level of 5.4 or above. 

According to Function Health, these are ‘building blocks for cells and help regulate inflammation, support cardiovascular and brain function, and maintain overall metabolic health.’

Dr Hyman said this can also easily be remedied with omega–3 supplements. 

After the two blood tests, it was time for the full–body MRI scan. I slipped into the Ezra–provided pajamas and lay in an MRI machine for 30 minutes. The technician said to expect results in a couple of days.

I have a very small nodule on my thyroid but it is not big enough to be concerned about. Dr Hyman said to follow up with an endocrinologist for an ultrasound, but it doesn’t require imminent medical attention 

The Function journey began at a local lab where a phlebotomist took about a dozen tubes of blood for the first set of tests

Thankfully, the MRI was ‘unremarkable,’ meaning nothing immediately stood out to the doctor.

I have a very small nodule on my thyroid but it is not big enough to be concerned about; and because my thyroid blood markers were normal, Dr Hyman said to follow up with an endocrinologist for an ultrasound, but it doesn’t require imminent medical attention.

Based on the results, I can finally stop worrying that every headache or my seemingly unending exhaustion is a catastrophic medical emergency. I should probably just get more sleep. 

Overall, I think, that at this price, Function is doing a great job at making it easier for people to get more information about their health, but it is still out of reach for many.

However, if finances allow, I recommend the services and have already implemented the changes, including taking supplements and following the recommended diet Function Health doctors provided me. 

Elina Shirazi: ‘More information than I knew what to do with’

As someone who experiences a string of unexplained symptoms, aches, heart palpitations and exhaustion, I was eager to get scanned to find the root of my ailments and possible remedies. 

In a similar fashion to Alexa, I underwent a full–body scan with Prenuvo. The company offers scans and similar accompanying blood tests, but at a much higher price tag.

I underwent a scan, which costs $2,499.

Prenuvo markets itself as a ‘whole–body MRI’ service that scans from head to toe in about an hour, with no radiation or contrast dye. 

A board–certified radiologist reads the results from the scan, which covers 33 organs and screens for more than 500 conditions.

But at its high price, it’s far from accessible for the average person, and insurance rarely covers elective imaging of this kind, classifying it as wellness rather than necessity. 

But Lacy said he has still seen an increase in demand.

He told the Daily Mail: ‘Our healthcare system is built to treat disease after it’s already taken hold. That model misses the opportunity to intervene early, when outcomes are better and costs are lower. 

‘We’re seeing a rise in preventative scans because people are realizing that waiting until something feels wrong isn’t enough and is often too late.’

I reported to a Maryland Prenuvo location and, after changing into scrubs, lay inside an MRI machine where a headpiece was positioned above my face and I watched Netflix for an hour.

A week later, a nurse practitioner called to review the results. 

Among them: spondyloarthropathy in my upper cervical spine, a degenerative arthritis that could explain my neck pain, and a congenital pancreatic anomaly known as pancreatic divisum, which I am fortunate to be symptom–free from.

Some, but not all, answers to my confusing symptoms.  

As someone who had already experienced a string of unexplained symptoms, aches, heart palpitations and exhaustion, I decided to test the concept firsthand by booking a Prenuvo scan

The doctor arranged follow–ups for a deeper spine and neck scan as well as physical therapy, providing a concrete plan for managing symptoms that they discovered could be nerve pain. 

Relief and information came in equal measure, but there was more data than I knew what to do with. I felt overwhelmed at first, but also relieved by the information that I had, because it let me also know what things I could safely cross off my list. 

One of the most persistent criticisms of preventive imaging is accessibility. With a price tag rivaling a month’s rent, whole–body MRIs risk becoming a luxury wellness trend rather than a public–health tool.

Lacy agrees that the question of access is central, and that he has a forward–looking plan.

He told Daily Mail: ‘Our goal is for this to become accessible to the everyday person. Historically, advanced imaging has been expensive and hard to access, and yes, the people who can afford it tend to be healthier to begin with. But the point of innovation is to make something new, prove it works, and then make it accessible.

‘People walk out of our clinics either knowing they’re healthy or having the information they need to do something about what’s not. Both outcomes are powerful.’

Bottom line, the full–body scan gave me peace of mind, some data and a medical plan. If I could tackle what I knew to be true, I could start feeling better. What this experience made clear is that knowledge truly is power – hard to put a price tag on.

And while the technology is still out of reach for many, its potential is undeniable; it could be one of the most meaningful investments you can make in yourself.