I tried the in-demand Neko Health body scan, and this is what I learned
As I enter Neko Health’s futuristic lab-style basement clinic in London’s Marylebone (it’s giving chic Severance) I can already feel my heart beating faster and my palms sweating – neither of which, I know, is going to be good for my blood pressure reading.
The reason for this nervousness is that it’s just occurred to me that this could be a life-changing 60 minutes. I’m about to have my whole body scanned – checking for signs of skin cancer, monitoring my vascular and heart health, analysing my glucose and cholesterol levels, and taking a full blood count. It’s a lot.
But as soon as I’m greeted by the staff, I begin to relax. There is a mood of deep serenity (aided by some Scandi minimalism) at the clinic, which can’t help but put you at ease. I also remind myself that I’m here to prevent illness; this is a positive, proactive appointment – something that’s becoming increasingly common in the wellness world.
Neko Health is tapping in to this zeitgeist for preventive healthcare with style. The brainchild of the Spotify founder Daniel Ek and his business partner Hjalmar Nilsonne, the clever health-tech model launched in Sweden in 2023, and here last autumn.
“We’re at the beginning of a big shift in the healthcare market, from reactive to proactive,” says Nilsonne, “which is being driven both by technological advancements and growing consumer demand.”
And customer demand there is. Since launch, Neko Health has amassed such interest in the UK (nearly half of the 100 thousand-person waiting list is here), that the company is imminently opening a second site in east London. With expansion will come increasingly finely tuned tech and testing. “In the coming years, Neko will continue to bring incredible innovations to the market to find and prevent disease before it has a chance to develop,” says Nilsonne.
Still, right now, the service Neko offers and the range of conditions it covers is excellent. Specifically, at your appointment millions of internal and external health data points are mapped all across your body to check for various conditions including blood abnormalities, metabolic irregularities, risk factors for a stroke or heart attack, and concerning blood fat and sugar levels to assess your pre-diabetes risk. It also includes mole mapping to check for signs of skin cancer.
What happens at the appointment?
After checking in and stepping into your own private changing room, your nurse explains in detail what to expect. The tests take around 15-20 minutes in total, and the whole appointment is roughly one hour. Once changed, you’re then guided through to a private testing suite.
Mole mapping: You start with the full body scan for mole mapping, which happens standing up in a scanning unit (underwear on, although they recommend that you remove your bra). The experience is swift and completely painless; in fact it’s quite pleasant as a warm beam of light scans over you front and back. The scan is taking hundreds (and in some cases thousands) of images of marks all over your body.
Pressure, blood, heart and grip tests: This is followed by sitting on a bed in the same room to have your blood and eye pressures checked (the only tricky part here is keeping your eyes open as air is blown into them) along with your grip strength. Once done, you lie down for the blood tests, vascular scanning and heart monitoring equipment. (A tip: drinking plenty of water ahead of your appointment will ensure your blood can be taken easily.)
Once all the hi-tech equipment is finished with, the registered doctor will come in to check your moles with the naked eye, and listen to your heart with a stethoscope. After that, it’s back to the changing room and then through to the same doctor for your results.
How are the results presented?
By the time you’ve changed back into your clothes, your results are ready. You’re guided through to a room with a sofa, a doctor, and a screen, on which your results are broken down into seven different sections:
1/ Skin imaging, in which every mark on your body (I had just under 700) is mapped, numbered, and ready for comparison year-on-year
2/ Blood tests
3/ Blood fats
4/ Heart and circulation
5/ Eye pressure
6/ Grip strength
7/ Blood sugar
The tests also predict your likelihood of developing diabetes in your lifetime. These very easy-to-navigate results are available for you to access any time via a secure link.
The doctor will talk you through each outcome, give context on ‘normal’ ranges compared to your results, generally give advice on any lifestyle changes needed, and plan any follow-up appointments. I had to return for an ECG to check on a suspected heart murmur, at no extra cost – it’s all covered in the price of the scan.
This part of the appointment feels extremely thorough – you’re encouraged to ask as many questions as necessary, and take as much time as you need to understand what you’re looking at on the screen. At no point do I feel as though I’m being rushed out of the room.
You also get a message a few days after the scan to confirm that your mole-mapping images have been seen by a second doctor – a dermatologist – who does an additional review of them to confirm whether treatment is or isn’t needed.
Is it worthwhile?
Absolutely, and the data supports this; in Neko’s first year of operation, of the people scanned, 14.1 per cent required medical attention, while 1 per cent actually received potentially life-saving treatment for serious conditions (of which they weren’t aware prior to their visit), such as cardiovascular disease, severe metabolic diseases or skin cancer.
Personally, I found taking a proactive approach to my health both reassuring and responsible – not only does it put us in control of our future bodies by catching any issues early, it also potentially takes the pressure off our overloaded healthcare system. Prevention, after all, is always better than cure.
The Neko Health body scan is £299, and £249 for future annual appointments booked immediately after the scan. Book here
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