An eye scan already available on the high street can tell someone their odds of having a heart attack or stroke within the next 10 years, a study led by the University of Dundee has found.
A simple digital photograph of the back of the eye can predict a major cardiovascular event – such as a heart attack or stroke – set to happen in the next decade with 70 per cent accuracy, according to research supported by the British Heart Foundation and the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR).
Researchers believe the routine retinal scans could also be used to track people’s heart health over time, as they also found links between someone’s three-year change in risk score and their odds of a major cardiovascular event.
The eye scan is analysed using AI, which takes just a fraction of a second to produce a personalised risk prediction. People at the highest risk could be referred to a GP, who might end up prescribing blood pressure tablets or statins to lower their cholesterol.
In the future, researchers hope anyone getting an eye test could get an alert on their heart health pinged to their smartphone.
Dr Ify Mordi, British Heart Foundation Research Fellow at the University of Dundee and consultant cardiologist, led the study published in the journal Cardiovascular Diabetology. He said, “It may be surprising, but the eyes are a window to the heart.
“If there is damage or narrowing of the blood vessels at the back of the eye, there is a good chance that will also be seen in the blood vessels further inside the body, supplying the heart, which could lead to a heart attack or stroke.
“This is a one-stop scan which is routinely performed and takes less than a minute. It could be an important part of the package, alongside blood pressure and cholesterol checks, in identifying people who could benefit from medication or lifestyle changes.”
Researchers at the University of Dundee developed AI technology to analyse digital retinal photographs, which are usually part of a routine eye test on the high street.
