MRI Body Scans Predict Diabetes and Death Better Than BMI

Based on: Body Composition in the General Population: Whole-body MRI-derived Reference Curves from Over 66 000 Individuals.

Strong Evidence·Journal Article·Radiology·Apr 2026

Researchers used whole-body MRI scans from over 66,000 people to map fat and muscle in detail. High visceral fat more than doubled diabetes risk, while low muscle mass raised death risk by 44%. These measures predicted disease beyond what standard risk factors could catch. The team made their calculator free online.

Key Insight

This study suggests that visceral fat and muscle mass may reveal health risks that BMI misses.

Original Paper

Jung M, Reisert M, Rieder H, Rospleszcz S, Haueise T, Pischon T, Niendorf T, Kauczor HU, Völzke H, Bülow R, Russe MF, Schlett CL, Lu MT, Bamberg F, Raghu VK, Weiss J

Radiology··66,608 adults, average age 58, from UK and German cohorts
View on PubMedFull Paper (DOI)
body compositionmuscle massvisceral fat

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Disclaimer: Research summaries are provided for informational purposes only and do not constitute medical advice. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional before making changes to your health routine.