Updated Dec. 2, 2025, 4:37 p.m. ET
The White House released a statement from President Donald Trump’s physician that said the MRI scan Trump received during his physical was “preventative” and the results were “perfectly normal.”
“This level of detailed assessment is standard for an executive physical at President Trump‘s age,” Trump’s physician, Sean Barbabella, said in the statement Dec. 1.
The doctor’s report comes after Trump’s medical exam in October led to questions about the care Trump was receiving and why. Barbabella described the MRI as part of a comprehensive review of Trump’s heart and abdominal health, which he said are good, adding the MRI “confirms that he remains in excellent overall health.”
So why might a 79-year-old man need a preventative MRI?
Research on age-related MRI scans is scarce. Researchers have developed a way to measure how fast a person is aging using a single brain MRI scan, and treatment for conditions like Alzheimer’s disease needs to be monitored with frequent imaging. MRIs also can detect brain atrophy and cerebral small vessel disease (CSVD), which can lead to a stroke or heart attack.
Here’s what to know about MRIs, preventative care and full-body scans.
What is an MRI?
An MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) scan is a test that produces detailed images of the organs and structures inside your body. It is painless and uses a large magnet, radio waves and a computer. It does not use X-rays (radiation).
Because an MRI doesn’t use radiation, it is the optimal imaging test when people need frequent imaging for diagnosis or treatment monitoring, especially of their brain, according to the Cleveland Clinic.
Some MRI exams use an injection of contrast material, a dye that contains gadolinium-based agents and is delivered through an IV, orally or via injection. The dye highlights blood vessels, organs and soft tissues to provide clearer and more detailed images, particularly of inflammation, tumors and infection. Contrast materials are considered safe drugs with mild to severe side effects; severe reactions are rare.
What doctors look for with an MRI as people age
An MRI scan is a valuable tool for brain mapping and looking for changes in the brain. But it’s not something everyone needs as they age, nor is it a primary tool of preventive care.
As people get older, they may need MRIs to look for brain shrinkage (atrophy), according to Mayo Clinic.
Treatment for conditions like Alzheimer’s requires monitoring with brain MRI scans to determine safety and efficacy.
Cerebral small vessel disease is also generally diagnosed with an MRI scan to check the brain for bleeding of the small blood vessels, damage to white matter and evidence of small strokes, according to the American Brain Foundation. For the majority of patients with CSVD, the condition develops in their mid-60s, but it can begin earlier.
CSVD is a common factor driving age-dependent diseases, including stroke and dementia. Early detection can improve treatment management plans.
According to Tesla MRI, an advanced diagnostic imaging facility with locations in Florida, full-body MRIs also can detect early signs of cancer in the organs, bone and joint conditions and muscle and tissue problems that might impair movement.
In recent years, younger people have turned to full-body scans for preventative care.
Are preventative MRIs necessary?
Celebrities such as Kim Kardashian and Dwyane Wade have joined a growing wellness trend of preventative, full-body MRI scans.
Kim Kardashian touted the full-body MRI scan on her Instagram in 2023: “It has really saved some of my friends’ lives.” Wade revealed in January 2025 that he had surgery in 2023 to remove kidney cancer and said the full-body scan led to the discovery.
But are the scans really necessary for the average person? The general consensus among health professionals is no.
“It really doesn’t make any sense,” Dr. Patrick Kenney, urologic oncologist at Yale Cancer Center, told USA TODAY.
Besides the hefty price tag – the scan can cost $1,000 to $3,000 and isn’t covered by most insurance – the procedure may induce needless anxiety by detecting things that aren’t necessarily dangerous, Kenney said. It also could lead to overtreatment, such as surgeries that wouldn’t typically fall under standard treatment or care.
Some argue that detecting a mass in the body early could save money down the line that may be related to more aggressive treatments and surgeries, said Dr. John Oertle, chief medical director at Envita Medical Centers in Scottsdale, Arizona, which offers full-body scans.
But Kenney argues there’s no data to support that.
“It’s disingenuous to say that there are cost savings associated with full-body MRIs,” he said. “That has not been proven.”
Contributing: Zac Anderson and Adrianna Rodriguez
