Eye Scans May Predict Heart Disease and Biological Ageing, Say Researchers

New Delhi: Canadian scientists have discovered that examining the tiny blood vessels in the eyes could help predict a person’s risk of developing heart disease and indicate how quickly they are biologically ageing.

Published in the journal Science Advances, the study highlights that retinal scans may serve as a noninvasively tool to assess the body’s overall vascular health and ageing process, paving the way for early detection and preventive care.

“By linking retinal scans with genetics and blood biomarkers, we identified molecular pathways that show how ageing impacts the vascular system,” said Marie Pigeyre, Associate Professor at McMaster University’s Department of Medicine, Canada.

The researchers combined retinal images, genetic data, and blood analyses from over 74000 participants. They found that individuals with simpler, less branched retinal blood vessels faced a higher risk of cardiovascular diseases and exhibited biological signs of ageing such as inflammation and reduced longevity.

Currently, diagnosing age-related conditions like heart disease, stroke, and dementia involves multiple tests. This research suggests that a simple retinal scan could eventually serve as a fast, accessible way to measure cardiovascular and biological ageing risks.

The study also identified two proteins MP12 and IgG Fc receptor IIb that play key roles in inflammation and vascular ageing. These proteins could become promising targets for future therapies aimed at slowing down the ageing process and reducing the risk of heart-related diseases.

“Our findings open new possibilities for developing drugs to delay vascular ageing, lower cardiovascular risk, and improve overall lifespan,” Pigeyre added.