(NaturalHealth365)  MRIs help doctors see inside your body, but new findings have raised red flags.  Medical experts want more research on health risks – especially how these metal-based contrast agents might build up in your body long after the scan.

Many MRI procedures involve getting a contrast injection to improve the clarity of the images.  The problem is that some patients with multiple MRIs report thinking problems afterward.  These symptoms increasingly point to gadolinium, a metal used in contrast agents that may be more dangerous than we thought.  New research shows it can stay in your body for years, even with healthy kidneys.  What’s particularly concerning is that gadolinium might damage your cells and even your DNA.

Scientific studies raise serious brain health concerns

A study showed a correlation between intravenous gadolinium-based contrast agents and deposits of gadolinium found in neural tissues.  Results were published online in Radiology, with lead author Robert McDonald, MD, PhD, Mayo Clinic, noting that some of the administered doses of contrast agent deposited in neural tissues were surprising.

Patients who have undergone routine MRIs, such as Marcie Jacobs, later reported a loss of cognitive abilities.  After having memory and other brain function issues following several years of routine MRIs for breast cancer detection, Ms. Jacobs ended up on disability.

Also in the journal Radiology, Dr. Emanuel Kanal, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, along with Michael Tweedle at Ohio State University, wrote that current studies “called into question” the “safety of at least some” of the agents.  While the two did not call for an end to the use of these agents, they did call for increased caution in using these drugs.

Are you being offered these MRI drugs?

Gadolinium brain deposits spark ongoing safety debate

Brain scans after certain contrast-enhanced MRIs show gadolinium sticking around – a discovery that’s raised eyebrows across medicine even without clear proof of harm.  The findings haven’t definitively shown these metal deposits cause problems, but they’ve certainly got doctors thinking twice.

GE Healthcare insists its research shows no evidence of harm from these brain deposits.  Bayer has been working with outside researchers to get to the bottom of things.  Both companies have settled their share of lawsuits, including some involving deaths.  Back in 2010, Bayer reached a settlement with a California man who claimed Bayer’s product Magnevist gave him nephrogenic systemic fibrosis – a rare but serious condition.

The health dangers continue to be a hot topic of debate.  Research points in different directions – some studies raise red flags while others find no smoking gun.  Doctors now find themselves weighing benefits against possible risks, especially when their patients already have kidney problems.

The risk to MRI patients continues

Doctors now check kidney function before giving patients contrast agents, but that might not solve the problem.  We’re seeing gadolinium deposits showing up even in people with healthy kidneys, sometimes months or years after their MRIs.

Researchers are worried about finding these metal traces in brain tissue at much higher levels than anyone thought possible.  We don’t know yet how this might affect someone’s brain function or overall health over the long haul.  The data simply isn’t there.

This puts radiologists in a tough spot.  These contrast agents help spot tumors, inflammation, and blood vessel problems that might otherwise go undetected.  That’s incredibly valuable – but at what risk?

Some hospitals have started switching to newer gadolinium compounds like the macrocyclic agents, which seem to hold onto their gadolinium better than older ones like Omniscan and Magnevist.  Others are cutting doses to the bare minimum or skipping contrast altogether when possible.

For patients needing multiple MRIs throughout their lives, the risk increases with each scan.  Many are now asking for contrast-free procedures or looking for facilities that use the newer, possibly safer agents.

Until we know more, the smart move seems to use the least risky contrast agents only when absolutely necessary.  Meanwhile, researchers keep studying what happens to these metal deposits in the body over time.  One thing’s for sure – we haven’t heard the last word on gadolinium safety.

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Sources for this article include:

NIH.gov
FDA.gov
FDA.gov
Current.com
Auntminnie.com
Propublica.org