health
Influencers are promoting these three health tests
Experts warn of ‘over-diagnosis’ dangers as social media prompts the worried well to seek out unnecessary and expensive scans and blood tests
TL;DR
- Social media influencers are promoting controversial medical tests like full-body MRI scans, AMH tests, and testosterone tests.
- Experts warn these tests carry the risk of over-diagnosis, causing anxiety and leading to unnecessary treatments for healthy individuals.
- Full-body MRIs are not recommended by medical bodies for healthy people due to the risk of incidental findings and potential for harm from unnecessary treatments.
- AMH tests marketed for fertility can cause psychological distress and lead to costly interventions like egg-freezing or IVF without medical necessity.
- Testosterone tests linked to supplementation can have negative side effects, including blood clotting, impaired fertility, and potential heart conditions in healthy men.
- Social media bypasses traditional healthcare channels, allowing direct-to-consumer marketing of these tests, often leaving consumers to interpret results without professional guidance.
- The campaign, backed by the University of Sydney, aims to provide evidence-based information to combat online health misinformation.