Researchers have announced that an artificial intelligence programme that scans the inside of a person’s eye can accurately spot early signs of heart disease.
The test, named QUantitative Analysis of Retinal vessels Topology and SiZe (QUARTZ), measures the thickness of tiny arteries and veins located at the back of the eye, and scientists behind the research believe it can specify the risk of cardiovascular disease, cardiovascular death and stroke, and could lead to having the test available to people at medium to high risk of heart disease.
Despite there being various tests aavailable that try to predict the risk of heart disease, not many are viewed as accurate.
Study
The study, published in the British Journal of Ophthalmology, involving more than 88,000 people within the 40 to 69 age bracket, managed to predict 54% of cases of heart attacks and strokes and 58% of heart disease deaths.
Researchers took measurements of the width of blood vessels across the retina to see if they have changed in thickness and analyse the curviness of the arteries and veins within the retina to come to an accurate prediction. They also consider, age, smoking status and medical history to calculate the overall risk.
Currently, healthcare professionals use blood tests or blood pressure checks to check for the risks from heart disease illness, and they state that this test could be a “non-evasive” alternative.
Potential
Researchers from the study said: “AI-enabled vasculometry risk prediction is fully automated, low cost, non-invasive and has the potential for reaching a higher proportion of the population in the community because of ‘High Street’ availability and because blood sampling or [blood pressure measurement] are not needed.”
Speaking from a health conference in Copenhagen, Prof Alicja Rudnicka, lead author of the study added: “It could end up improving cardiovascular health and save lives.”
Cardiovascular disease is one of the main causes of death and disability in the UK, accounting for one in four deaths.
In a linked editorial, Dr Ify Mordi and Prof Emanuele Trucco, of the University of Dundee, said the idea of AI eye checks for heart health was “certainly attractive and intuitive”.
