In an era where personalised medicine is rapidly gaining traction among health-conscious individuals, two Daily Mail journalists decided to put the latest preventative health services to the test. Health Editor Alexa Lardieri and Senior Reporter Elina Shirazi underwent comprehensive health assessments from two prominent companies in the burgeoning wellness diagnostics sector.
The Rise of Personalised Preventative Medicine
The personalised medicine industry is experiencing significant growth, with numerous companies now offering extensive blood testing and full-body scanning services aimed at detecting potential health issues before they become serious problems. This trend has gained considerable attention through celebrity endorsements, with figures like Kate Hudson and Kim Kardashian sharing their experiences with full-body scans on social media.
Kardashian notably revealed that her Prenuvo scan detected a brain aneurysm that might otherwise have gone unnoticed. Even former President Donald Trump recently underwent an MRI, reportedly receiving exceptionally positive results. This celebrity endorsement has driven increased public interest in advanced preventative health screening.
Two Journalists, Two Different Experiences
Alexa Lardieri, a 32-year-old health editor who maintains a plant-based diet and active lifestyle, decided to try Function Health despite considering herself generally healthy. With diabetes, colon cancer and breast cancer in her family history, the comprehensive blood tests and body scanning offered an appealing opportunity for early detection.
Meanwhile, Elina Shirazi had been experiencing persistent unexplained symptoms including aches, heart palpitations and exhaustion. She hoped that Prenuvo's full-body scan might provide answers to her mysterious health concerns and direction towards effective remedies.
Both journalists approached their tests with a mixture of hope and apprehension, aware that the results could either provide reassurance or uncover potentially worrying findings.
Medical Community Concerns About Over-testing
Medical experts have expressed concerns about these types of comprehensive screening services, particularly regarding the potential for incidental findings that may cause unnecessary anxiety or lead to further testing for conditions that might never cause problems.
Prenuvo Founder and CEO Andrew Lacy acknowledges these concerns but defends the proactive approach to healthcare. "I understand the concern. No one wants to over-medicalize healthy people or create unnecessary anxiety," Lacy told Daily Mail. "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."
Alexa's Function Health Journey: Reassurance and Minor Adjustments
Function Health, founded by former Cleveland Clinic physician Dr Mark Hyman, offers subscribers more than 160 blood tests twice annually for $365 per year, plus additional specialised tests on demand. The company also provides access to medical professionals who review results and create personalised health plans.
Alexa's testing process began with two blood draws one week apart, with a phlebotomist taking approximately a dozen tubes of blood each time. The tests analysed markers for liver, heart, thyroid, pancreas and other major organ health, along with nutrient and mineral levels.
Her results were overwhelmingly positive, with 95 markers within normal range and only four showing minor deviations. Based on these findings, Function Health estimated her biological age to be slightly younger than 22 years old.
The tests revealed three minor areas for improvement: a vitamin D deficiency affecting approximately 25% of the US population, slightly below-normal levels of HDL large particles (6,419 nmol/L compared to the normal level above 6,729 nmol/L), and low omega-3 fatty acid levels at 5.1 compared to the in-range level of 5.4 or above.
Dr Hyman recommended simple interventions: vitamin D and omega-3 supplements, along with monitoring her cholesterol levels. Alexa then underwent a full-body MRI through Function Health's partner Ezra, costing an additional $500. The scan proved "unremarkable" aside from a very small thyroid nodule requiring no immediate medical attention.
"Based on the results, I can finally stop worrying that every headache or my seemingly unending exhaustion is a catastrophic medical emergency," Alexa reported. "I should probably just get more sleep."
Elina's Prenuvo Experience: Answers and Overwhelm
Elina Shirazi opted for Prenuvo's comprehensive scanning service, which carries a substantial price tag of $2,499. The company offers whole-body MRI scans covering 33 organs and screening for more than 500 conditions, with no radiation or contrast dye involved. A board-certified radiologist interprets the results.
During her hour-long scan at a Maryland location, Elina wore provided scrubs and watched Netflix while the machine conducted its examination. The results, delivered a week later by a nurse practitioner, provided partial answers to her unexplained symptoms.
The scan identified spondyloarthropathy in her upper cervical spine, a degenerative arthritis that could explain her neck pain, and a congenital pancreatic anomaly called pancreatic divisum, from which she fortunately experiences no symptoms.
While the findings provided relief and direction, Elina noted feeling initially overwhelmed by the amount of information. "Relief and information came in equal measure, but there was more data than I knew what to do with," she explained. "I felt overwhelmed at first, but also relieved from the information that I had, because it let me also know what things I could safely cross off my list."
The medical team arranged follow-up scans and physical therapy, creating a concrete plan for managing her newly identified nerve pain.
The Accessibility Question in Preventative Healthcare
Both services raise significant questions about healthcare accessibility. With Prenuvo's scan costing $2,499 and Function Health's annual membership plus MRI totalling approximately $865, these preventative measures remain out of reach for many consumers. Insurance rarely covers elective imaging of this kind, typically classifying it as wellness rather than medical necessity.
Andrew Lacy acknowledges this challenge but remains optimistic about future accessibility. "Our goal is for this to become accessible to the everyday person," he stated. "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."
Despite the high costs, both journalists found value in their experiences. Alexa has implemented the recommended dietary changes and supplements, while Elina gained peace of mind and a clear medical plan for addressing her symptoms.
As Elina concluded: "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."
