High street eye test could predict heart attack risk
A new artificial intelligence tool could predict a person's risk of suffering a heart attack or stroke within the next 10 years just from analysing a routine eye test.
Researchers from the University of Dundee used AI to examine digital retinal photographs, which capture images of the back of the eye.
The software has learnt to detect abnormalities or patterns in the size and arrangement of the blood vessels that would suggest an increased risk of developing a heart condition.
The experts said it could now predict the likelihood of someone going on to suffer a 'major cardiovascular event', such as a heart attack or stroke, within the next 10 years to 70 per cent accuracy.
They hope the test could one day be offered alongside blood pressure and cholesterol checks to allow doctors to identify and treat patients at risk of heart issues sooner..
People with type 2 diabetes
For the study, the research team trialled the AI software on the eye scans of people with type 2 diabetes.
Diabetes patients have regular eye tests to check for diabetic retinopathy, a condition where high blood sugar levels damage the blood vessels in the retina and lead to sight loss.
Dr Ify Mordi, a British Heart Foundation (BHF) research fellow at the University of Dundee and consultant cardiologist, 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 it will also be seen in the blood vessels further inside the body, supplying the heart, which could lead to a heart attack or stroke.'
Dr Mordi added: '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.'
Professor Bryan Williams, chief scientific and medical officer at the BHF, said: 'The more accurately we can detect someone's risk of a heart attack or stroke, the better the opportunities to prevent these happening.
' Cutting-edge innovations, like the use of retinal scans alongside health checks, could play a role in improving risk prediction, which is important if we are to reach the British Heart Foundation's goal to prevent 125,000 heart attacks and strokes in the UK by 2035.
'However, more research is needed to show this prediction accuracy is robust, and to determine the feasibility of incorporating retinal scans into clinical practice.'
The study was published in the journal Cardiovascular Diabetology.
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