Doctors mull value of medical tattoos

TORONTO, May 15 (UPI) -- The Canadian Medical Association has expressed concern over the growing trend of people having their medical conditions tattooed on their bodies.

Since 1956, millions of people in Canada and the United States with medical conditions such as diabetes, epilepsy or drug allergies have used wrist or ankle bracelets or necklaces provided by the MedicAlert Foundation.

However, with the growing popularity of tattoos, the CMA said in a report Monday medical information "appears to be a trend on the rise," Postmedia News reported.

Robert Ridge, chief executive officer of the Canadian MedicAlert Foundation, told Postmedia that tattoos, while considered stylish by some, don't have the potentially life-saving capability of the organization's comprehensive historical database on users.

"The vast majority of our members' information changes over time, and a tattoo isn't conducive to changing information -- it's rather permanent," he said.