KIMS Bengaluru head cardiologist trashes Elon Musk's ‘annual preventive MRIs’ idea: ‘Astoundingly absurd’

Trump's routine MRI scans raise questions about preventive care, with differing opinions from medical experts on their necessity and implications for health.

Last week's row over US President Donald Trump's ‘preventive MRI’ is now seeing fresh commotion on social media. Billionaire businessmen Elon Musk and cardiologists are warring on the usability or the futility of the idea.

Elon Musk advocates for annual preventive MRIs, while cardiologists like Dr. Deepak Krishnamurthy warn against overdiagnosis and unnecessary procedures.

Replying to a tweet by a person saying they often get preventive MRIs to keep better track of their health, Elon Musk tweeted, “Widespread MRI usage done at least annually with AI reviewing the data would greatly improve wellbeing and mortality.”

Responding to him, Dr Deepak Krishnamurthy, Director and Lead Cardiologist, KIMS hospital Bengaluru, trashed the idea. “A recipe for over diagnosis and unnecessary procedures. People who come with symptoms are often worried about being over investigated with non-indicated tests. And here we will screen everyone with an annual MRI. The absurdity is astounding,” he wrote.

Last week, Trump’s doctor said the president underwent MRI scans of his heart and abdomen in October as part of routine preventive screening recommended for men in his age group.

In a statement, Sean Barbabella said Trump’s physical exam included “advanced imaging” that is standard for an executive physical in his age group. He added that the cardiovascular and abdominal scans were “perfectly normal.”

“The purpose of this imaging is preventative — to identify issues early, confirm overall health, and ensure he maintains long-term vitality and function,” the doctor said.

Another doctor has suggested there may be inconsistencies in the White House’s account. Dr. Jonathan Reiner, a CNN medical analyst, said the scans described are not part of routine preventive care.

“There really is no preventive cardiac MRI,” Reiner said on Monday. “This was clearly done in response to some clinical concern.”

In his view, most physicians would agree that advanced imaging is not a standard component of an executive physical at any age, regardless of gender. Reiner added that a lack of transparency allows for unnecessary speculation, and said it would be advisable for the president’s physician to publicly answer a few questions to put the matter to rest.

Is an MRI not safe?

As per Cleveland Clinic, an MRI scan is generally safe and carries minimal risk for most people when proper safety guidelines are followed. However, it is an expensive procedure.

The strong magnetic field produced by MRI machines is not harmful, but it can interfere with implanted medical devices or affect the quality of the images.