Could medical imaging using radiation actually be causing harm?

© Vladimir Godnik/moodboard/Corbis
© Vladimir Godnik/moodboard/Corbis
Woman lying in CAT scan machine

Medical imaging techniques ranging from CT scans to myocardial perfusion imaging (or imaging of the heart), have become a regular part of medical diagnostics. Yet, according to a study published in this week’s issue of the New England Journal of Medicine, it isn’t yet clear whether the radiation necessary for these imaging procedures may actually be posing unnecessary harm.