Frequently asked questions

We produce a detailed medical report for your physician that walks them through every system and organ in the body and identifies any abnormal findings we identify. This is produced in a format that they are familiar with.

For more information about our lab testing, visit: https://prenuvo.com/blood-panels

Core Panel

The Core Panel provides foundational insight into your overall health by measuring key markers related to blood health, metabolism, organ function, prostate disease (for men). Together, these results help create a baseline view of how important systems in your body are functioning.

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Tests include:

• Complete Blood Count (CBC)
• Evaluates red and white blood cells and platelets to provide insight into immune health, oxygen transport, and overall blood health.
• Comprehensive Metabolic Panel (CMP)
• Measures markers related to liver function, kidney function, blood sugar, and electrolyte balance.
• Prostate-Specific Antigen (PSA)
• (Males only)
• Measures proteins produced by cells in the prostate gland and helps provide insight into prostate health.

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Comprehensive Panel -

The Comprehensive Panel includes a broader set of biomarkers that provide deeper insight into your overall health. In addition to foundational markers, this panel evaluates areas such as metabolism, cardiovascular health, thyroid hormone balance, and blood sugar control to offer a more detailed view of how key systems in your body are functioning.  

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Tests Include: 

• Complete Blood Count (CBC)
• Evaluates red and white blood cells and platelets to provide insight into immune health, oxygen transport, and overall blood health.
• Comprehensive Metabolic Panel (CMP)
• Measures markers related to liver function, kidney function, blood sugar, and electrolyte balance.
• Basic lipid panel
• These markers provide insight into how the body processes fats and can help identify patterns associated with heart and metabolic health.
• Thyroid Stimulating Hormone (TSH)
• Helps evaluate how well the thyroid gland is functioning and how the body regulates metabolism.
• Hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c)
• Reflects your average blood sugar levels over the past few months and helps assess glucose regulation.
• Prostate-Specific Antigen (PSA)
• (Males only)
• Measures proteins produced by cells in the prostate gland and helps provide insight into prostate health.

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Executive Panel

The Executive Panel measures the most extensive range of biomarkers available across our panels. In addition to the markers included in the Core and Comprehensive Panels, it evaluates additional indicators related to detailed metabolism, expanded cardiovascular health and future risk assessment, hormone balance, inflammation, nutrient status, broader organ function, and cellular and metabolic processes. These markers provide a broader perspective on how different systems in the body are functioning.

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Tests include: 

• Complete Blood Count (CBC)
• Evaluates red and white blood cells and platelets to provide insight into immune health, oxygen transport, and overall blood health.
• Comprehensive Metabolic Panel (CMP)
• Measures markers related to liver function, kidney function, blood sugar, and electrolyte balance.
• Advanced Lipid Panel with Inflammation Markers
• Assesses cholesterol levels and inflammation markers associated with cardiovascular health.
• Hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c)
• Reflects your average blood sugar levels over the past few months and helps assess glucose regulation.
• Thyroid Panel with TPO Antibodies
• Evaluates thyroid hormone levels and autoimmune thyroid markers that may influence metabolism and energy levels.
• Autoimmune Screening (ANA with Reflex Testing)
• Screens for antibodies that may be associated with autoimmune activity.
• Iron Studies (Ferritin, Iron, TIBC)
• Assesses iron levels and storage, which are important for energy, oxygen transport, and overall metabolic function.
• Vitamin and Nutrient Levels
• Includes Vitamin B12, Folate, Vitamin D, Zinc, and Magnesium, which support energy production, immune health, and cellular function.
• Uric Acid
• Measures levels associated with metabolic health and joint health.
• Digestive Enzymes (Lipase)
• Evaluates pancreatic enzyme levels involved in digestion as well as pancreatic inflammation.
• Celiac Disease Screening (tTG IgA)
• Screens for antibodies associated with gluten-related autoimmune activity.
• Cardio IQ Insulin Resistance Panel
• Measures markers that help assess insulin sensitivity and metabolic health.
• Urinalysis with Reflex Microscopic Testing
• Evaluates kidney health, hydration, and markers that may indicate infection or metabolic changes.
• Urine Albumin/Creatinine Ratio
• Screens for early markers of kidney stress or kidney function changes.
• Female Hormone Markers: provide insight into FSH/LH, Estradiol, Progesterone, AMH and total testosterone which provides details on hormonal balance, reproductive health, fertility potential, and potential changes associated with perimenopause or menopause
• Male Hormone Markers: provide insight into how the body is producing and regulating key androgens that influence energy, muscle mass, libido, mood, and overall well-being.

You will receive web and mobile app access to your images as well as a patient-friendly interactive version of your Prenuvo scan findings, based on those described in your official radiologist report. This interactive section of your findings summary will include information on the different systems, organs, and many of the other conditions we can image, including recommendations that will help empower both you and your physician to make the best decisions regarding your health.

After reviewing the report, if there are any questions on the findings, Prenuvo will provide 1:1 support from our internal clinical team.

Please contact us at practitioners@prenuvo.com for more detailed information.

There are no incidental findings from a Prenuvo WB-MRI, as the purpose of our scan is to identify abnormalities. We think of all findings in terms of risk level. In traditional healthcare, unexpected findings are often dismissed as incidental, however Prenuvo takes the approach of classifying all findings regardless of expectation level as low, medium (indeterminant), or high risk. This gives patients and their providers agency to act on what’s important to them.

All patients receive a comprehensive breakdown of notable findings and normal variants encountered during their exams within their private portal. The final report, which is a synopsis of this detailed breakdown, is the one generally reported during an NP consultation or if they are contacted due to urgent concerns. Our consultants are specially trained to help you see today what could happen tomorrow.

The report will be flagged by the reading radiologist, who then sends it to our Urgent Findings Medical Team, consisting of licensed NPs and MDs. One of our medical providers will then contact the patient (and/or their preferred primary provider) to report the findings and provide specific next steps.

Our open bore MRI scanner permits much of your scan to be conducted with your head outside of the magnet, greatly easing claustrophobic feelings. Your doctor may prescribe you a sedative depending on your level of claustrophobia. Please arrange the sedative prior to your MRI exam and ensure you have arranged a driver or alternate mode of transportation for getting to, and from, your Prenuvo appointment. Alternatively, we can prescribe you a sedative and fill a prescription for you.

You will be provided with a squeeze ball at the start of the scan. You can squeeze this at any time to alert the technologist performing your scan.

We are happy to do our best to accommodate you. Please give us a call at +1-833-773-6886 to discuss your needs ahead of your appointment.

Please inform us at least 3 calendar days in advance if you need to change or cancel your appointment. Your payment is non-transferable and non-refundable if you cancel within 3 days of your appointment time.

In the US, health savings accounts (HSA) and flexible spending accounts (FSA) are programs that allow you to set aside money (before taxes) for eligible healthcare expenses.

MyoStrain® is a way of measuring how your heart muscle moves and contracts with each beat using MRI. It looks at multiple areas of the heart to assess patterns of motion, helping provide a more detailed picture of how the heart muscle is working.

Your results include MyoHealth® Scores, which summarizes heart muscle function across these regions in a clear, standardized way. This information can support understanding of heart muscle performance and monitoring over time, but it does not diagnose specific heart conditions or replace standard cardiac testing.

CT and MRI both produce advanced cross-sectional anatomical images; they also generally involve similar appearing large machines with a patient lying on a table inside a sort of tube. However, the two techniques involve fundamentally different physics. A key-difference is that CT involves significant ionizing-radiation, while MRI involves none. From a basic cross-sectional imaging perspective, there is a good degree of overlap in the diagnostic utility that can be provided by the respective modalities, although there are contexts where one would be preferred over another or when the two would be complementary. However, CT essentially looks at a "single dimension" of the object being imaged to distinguish substructures, while MRI is a multiparametric technique capable of looking at many different dimensions of tissue and therefore enabling more potential diagnostic detail (or "contrasts") when needed in a given situation. Nevertheless, even though MRI involves no ionizing-radiation and theoretically more diagnostically versatile, CT typically precedes MRI in the conventional diagnostic imaging pathway for practical reasons (i.e., CT's more availability and relative ease-of-operating compared to MRI); afterall, CT can answer most routine diagnostic imaging questions just as well as MRI, and likely more efficiently the conventional MRI.

MRI on the other hand, is typically reserved as a second-step to provide needed answers to remaining questions that CT can't completely answer on its own. Although CT has the relative disadvantage of radiation, in most clinical diagnostic settings this is not a meaningful concern because the benefit of a diagnosis outweighs the long term risk from the associated radiation-dose; however, the same is not true in the screening setting where the additive risk of repeated-radiation dosing from serial screening exams becomes much more relevant. MRI's lack of radiation makes it a uniquely attractive imaging modality for whole-body screening.

While involving completely different physics, ultrasound and MRI share a unique property amongst the standard medical imaging modalities in that neither involves ionizing radiation, which is an advantage particularly in the screening setting. Ultrasound involves a handled probe which emits sound waves into the body, which are then reflected back to the probe and can generate an image of the underlying tissues based on the timing of the reflected sound waves received. For many common focal clinical concerns, ultrasound is usually a first-line attempt to evaluate the concern due to its wide-availability and relative inexpensiveness compared to MRI; MRI is not conventionally utilized first due to practical reasons, but theoretically would overlap a lot of the diagnostic utility of ultrasound.

In some contexts the two modalities could also serve complimentary roles. Ultrasound is very useful for doing "targeted" imaging evaluations of soft-tissue organs and fluid-filled structures, as opposed to MRI (or CT for that matter) which are "scanning" modalities of entire cross-sections of the body. Ultrasound also cannot image through bone, becomes severely limited when there is gas present in the trajectory of the ultrasound beam, and can also become difficult to use to assess deeper structures in larger habitus patients due to weakening to the sound waves over longer soft-tissue or fat-tissue distances. Overall, ultrasound suffers from a relatively poor field of vision (kind of like shining a light under the water, where the depth of field can be a bit murky) which means that while useful to evaluate structures in a more targeted fashion, it would be limited in performing whole body screening. MRI does not significantly suffer these same limitations, and therefore while both are radiation-free modalities, WB-MRI is a better candidate for effective whole body screening.

Our early data shows a tremendous benefit for recommending whole body MRI’s for patients. Approximately 4% of our screening WB-MRI scans led to diagnostically motivated biopsies, the majority of which led to cancer diagnoses that lack single cancer screening methods.^[24]

• WB-MRI cancer detection rate of 2.2%^[24]
• WB-MRI initiated a positive biopsy rate of 51%^[24]
• 64% of the cancers were detected at an early stage while 36% were detected at a late stage^[24]
• 2% of our patient scans reported suspected intracranial aneurysms (IAs)^[25]

First, a major difference is the lack of ionizing radiation with the Prenuvo scan (or MRI in general for that matter), as opposed to PET/CT which involves significant radiation-dosing. Therefore while in cases of already diagnosed cancer PET-CT is likely the preferred standard for initial systemic staging and treatment-response monitoring in most clinical settings, it is not a reasonable candidate modality for general screening because over the long-term, additive exposure to ionizing-radiation actually increases the risk of inducing cancer down the line. PET-CT is a very useful cancer-imaging technique because it reflects metabolic activity, which in cancer is characteristically increased relative to background normal tissue, and can do so over large anatomic coverage with cross-sectional anatomic-precision. With Prenuvo’s MRI technique, we take advantage of a functional-equivalent of PET, however capitalizing on a different physiologic principle. Just like cancer tends to be hypermetabolic relative to background normal tissue, it also tends to have relatively more cellular-density which results in relative "diffusion restriction of water molecules" which is actually very well-imaged via MRI but technically difficult to perform well over the whole-body. To this end, we have fine-tuned performance of whole-body Diffusion-Weighted-Imaging (or WB-DWI), which is a fundamental component of our Prenuvo multiparametric WB-MRI screening protocol and therefore further strengthens the degree of sensitivity and specificity our WB-MRI screening approach. In the end, to some degree WB-MRI may eventually have a degree of overlapping roles and complimentary/different contextual strengths for cancer-imaging, depending on the clinical situation. However, in the specific context of general cancer screening, WB-MRI is a more viable option due to the lack of ionizing radiation involved compared to PET-CT.

Our patient’s privacy and confidentiality are very important to us. We comply with privacy regulations and legislation in the jurisdictions we operate.

The subcutaneous fat calculation includes analysis of the chest / torso and lower body; visceral fat volume analyzes the abdomen.

A Prenuvo MRI is a noninvasive, injection-free, and radiation free procedure. The scanner is air-conditioned, well-lit, and you will always be in contact with an MRI technologist through a two-way intercom. During the scan, coils will be placed from your head to your legs. The MRI scanner produces thumping and humming noises as it is acquiring the images. We will offer you some headphones or earplugs to reduce the noise. You can also choose to listen to music to help pass the time or watch your favorite show (except if you’re at a partner clinic). The technologist who operates the scanner will be observing you from the adjacent room throughout the scan. It is important to remain still when images are being acquired.

• MyoStrain quantifies segmental intra-myocardial strain to directly quantify changes in contraction across 48 segments (37 left ventricular segments, and 11 right ventricular segments). It does this by observing longitudinal and circumferential strain independently, which creates a global assessment of strain called your “MyoHealth” score along with other traditional metrics such as Ejection Fractions (LVEF, RVEF), end-diastolic volumes (LVED/RVED), end-systolic volumes (LVES, RVES), and stroke volume (LVSV, RVSV).
• A MyoHealth score is a novel scoring system devised by the makers of MyoStrain, whereby the number of left/right-ventricular segments with normal function are divided by the total number of left/right-ventricular segments.

We perform a comprehensive set of protocols that image the entire body. These include brain quantification, arterial assessment, fat quantification as well as dedicated cancer and spinal screening. Our custom tailored whole body MRI protocol is based on MRI tissue-contrasts based on T1-weighted, T2-weighted, Fat-suppressed and non-fat-suppressed, and DWI techniques, a combination of evidence-based and emerging technologies that offer the most comprehensive diagnostic imaging in a reasonable time frame.

The vast majority of patients have moderate findings that are not considered high risk for cancer, and the recommendation for follow up is 12 months. For patients under 40 with no findings/low risk, the recommendation is to follow up in 12-24 months.

Currently, there are no evidence-based guidelines for specifically recommending WB-MRI screening in the general population. In most cases, the decision of if/when to start should be individualized based on patient-specific concerns and ideally through shared-decision-making with a primary healthcare provider. From a statistical perspective, cancer-risk generally increases with aging (as does the risk of most diseases); however, this risk can also vary individually based on other factors such as genetic/family-history, environmental exposures and other lifestyle factors. Additionally, a proactive-health approach could be of major interest to some individuals versus of less of a priority to others. Given the lack of ionizing-radiation and avoidance of IV-contrast, there are no real direct physiologic risks from undergoing WB-MRI screening. However, there could be other less-direct concerns stemming from how to handle potential "indeterminate-risk findings" or "false-positives"; to this end, as subspecialized radiologists in practicing WB-MRI screening we are not only very conscious of this delicate balance, taking into account the patients’ referring clinicians and healthcare system's perspective in our daily clinical practice, but also have the unique clinical experience and fine-tuned screening WB-MRI techniques to stand on. In the long run, longitudinal studies on WB-MRI screening will hopefully be able to provide the more specific evidence needed to more precisely recommend the most useful age to start and screening frequency for various different patient populations relative to individualized factors. Currently at Prenuvo, we only screen patients 18 years of age or older.

We plan to roll out the Advanced Heart Health Scan within the Executive Membership at all of our US clinic locations over the next few months.

You can review IRS Publication 502 (Medical and Dental Expenses) for general guidance. For specific eligibility, please contact your HSA/FSA administrator.

You can redeem a Prenuvo gift card at all locations (Canada and USA) except for our Research study located in Boston.

Your belongings are stored in a locker or secure changing room while you are in the MRI. Additionally, our changing rooms are located in areas of our clinics that are accessible only to Prenuvo staff and members.

Prenuvo currently partners with Quest Diagnostics for all bloodwork, except in New York and New Jersey, where BioReference is used instead. Lab partners are subject to change.

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In Hawaii, patients need special instructions from the Enhanced Scan Concierge team.

A Radiologist (physician specially trained in MRI and other radiology examinations, such as X-ray, CT and ultrasound). Our radiologists are fully licensed in the states they read in, and are or specially trained in whole body MRI screening.

• People with implanted metal devices that are not MRI-compatible (e.g., older pacemakers, defibrillators, or certain aneurysm clips).
• Individuals with metallic foreign objects in their bodies (e.g., shrapnel, or metal fragments in the eye).
• Patients with severe claustrophobia, unless sedation is possible.
• Pregnant women
• People who cannot lie still or follow instructions, with conditions such as severe anxiety, parkinson’s disease, movement disorders.
• Ages younger than 18 or with cognitive impairment

One of Prenuvo’s board-certified radiologists interprets each report. Our team consists of over 80+ actively credentialed, domestically practicing, board-certified radiologists. Each radiologist has undergone extensive training with Prenuvo to develop expertise in this unique MRI subspecialty of whole-body evaluation.

Heart imaging requires specialized analysis of how the heart moves with each beat. By partnering with MyoStrain®, Prenuvo is able to add this additional layer of insight using dedicated software designed specifically to analyze motion in cardiac MRI images.

This complements the Whole Body Scan, which focuses on capturing detailed structural images across the body.

In our 1.5 Tesla MRI scans, we achieve a balanced signal-to-noise ratio, which is crucial for accurate and reliable imaging.^[5] Imaging at 1.5 Tesla helps us avoid artifacts from implanted metallic devices (if present), ensuring that we don't misinterpret subtle details in the images.^[3] Additionally, 1.5 Tesla allows us to stay within a strict safety margin during our whole body scan. Diffusion weighted imaging, the most important single sequence of a WB-MRI, is known to perform most consistently at 1.5 Tesla.^[1][2][4] This is why many academic, government and centers for excellence choose 1.5 Tesla MRI scans.

Our Prenuvo screening scans are designed to be performed entirely without IV contrast. We believe that the comprehensiveness and diagnostic-grade quality of the combined imaging sequences in our Prenuvo multiparametric MRI protocol maintain the necessary sensitivity and specificity for tumor detection in a general population screening setting.^{[17][18][19][20]} Therefore, we do not administer any exogenous contrast agents for any of our scans, as we do not find routine use to add significant value.

By avoiding IV contrast administration, we eliminate the need for needles and injections, reducing the invasiveness associated with other imaging procedures.^[21] This also helps us avoid the risks of adverse reactions, such as allergic reactions, and potential longer-term toxicity effects that are rarely associated with the use of IV contrast agents.^[21][22][23]

We are using WB-MRI technique which includes coverage of the heart in the field-of-view, but we are not using dedicated targeted cardiac MRI techniques to do a comprehensive MRI evaluation of the heart in particular. One major reason is the heart as an organ that is in constant motion by necessity (it must beat!), therefore we will always have a prominent degree of motion blurring in the heart which will add further limitation. In cardiac MRI, this is often accounted for by doing "ekg-gating" to time imaging to the heart beat; however, this is not currently part of our technique. In contrast to dedicated cardiac imaging techniques, we are also not including dedicated sequences to specifically evaluate coronary arteries, specific cardiac focused MRI tissue-sequences and/or angulations, or MRI-techniques to evaluate cardiac-function.

Memberships offer a more structured approach to ongoing health monitoring by combining imaging, lab testing, and provider review over time. Bundled pricing offers a lower total cost compared to purchasing services individually, while also supporting more consistent tracking and a more coordinated experience. Memberships can be canceled at any time.

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No. MyoStrain® does not assess your risk for a heart attack and does not evaluate coronary artery blockages.

It provides information about how your heart muscle moves and functions, which can support clinical understanding when considered alongside other tests and your overall health. Your healthcare provider may use this information as part of a broader evaluation.

If you are experiencing symptoms such as chest pain, shortness of breath, or think you may be having a heart attack, seek emergency medical care right away.

Yes. We provide itemized receipts that you may submit to your HSA/FSA administrator. The receipt will include cost details, date of payment and services. If you have not received a receipt after 10 business days of scheduling your appointment, please email ambassador@prenuvo.com, and we will ensure one is sent to you. 

Prenuvo does not provide an NPI number or CPT code, medical diagnosis, or diagnostic codes. Reimbursement is not guaranteed. Please contact your FSA/HSA plan administrator in advance to confirm the terms of reimbursement.

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We do not submit the report to any health or insurance system unless authorized by you.