Some imaging tests not worth the costs and risks, from the November 2013 Harvard Women's Health Watch

When doctors recommend imaging tests such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) or computed tomography (CT) scans, many people don't ask questions—they just assume that it's the right thing to do. Yet medical imaging isn't always necessary or appropriate, reports the November 2013 Harvard Women's Health Watch.

For up to one-third of imaging tests performed in this country, the benefits don't outweigh risks such as radiation exposure, according to a survey published in JAMA Internal Medicine. Yet more people are undergoing medical imaging tests than ever before. Between 1996 and 2010, the use of CT scans nearly tripled, from 52 scans per 1,000 people to 149 per 1,000. Rates of MRI scans almost quadrupled during the same time period, from 17 scans per 1,000 people to 65 scans per 1,000.

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