# MRI Body Scans Predict Diabetes and Death Better Than BMI

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

- **Evidence Level**: Strong
- **Publication Types**: Journal Article
- **Journal**: Radiology
- **Sample Size**: 66,608 adults, average age 58, from UK and German cohorts
- **Authors**: 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
- **Published**: 2026-05-01
- **Topics**: body composition, muscle mass, visceral fat
- **DOI**: https://doi.org/10.1148/radiol.251939
- **Original Source**: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42084507/

## Summary

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.

## Practical Takeaway

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

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_Canonical: https://longevity-austria.com/en/research/mri-body-scans-predict-diabetes-and-death-better-than-bmi · Part of Longevity Cities · Updated 2026-05-01_