Retinal age linked to cardiovascular disease
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SAN DIEGO — Retinal age, as calculated using fundus images, may be a novel biomarker for cardiovascular disease, according to a study presented at Academy 2022.
Lisa Zhuoting Zhu, PhD, of the Center for Eye Research in Australia, said during a virtual academy-sponsored press conference that while cardiovascular disease (CVD) can be prevented by addressing risk factors such as smoking and obesity, risk scores are limited by the lack of end organ damage information.
“There is information bias and involvement of invasive procedures,” she said.
The retina, however, “is the window to the heart,” Zhu said. “It’s highly vascular. Our research is the first to approach the concept of retinal age.”
Zhu and colleagues developed an algorithm using deep-learning technology to predict retinal age based on fundus images. The goal was to investigate the link between retinal age gap and arterial stiffness index (ASI) and incident cardiovascular disease.
Zhu said 35,541 patients between 40 and 69 years of age were followed for 6 years. Retinal age gap — which is retinal age predicted minus chronological age — was generated, and 675 CVD events were identified.
The researchers reported that each 1-year increase in retinal age gap was associated with a 3% increase in CVD risk (HR = 1.03 , P = 0.014).
“We proved that positive retinal age gap significantly increased over all-cause mortality over 10 years,” Zhu said. “Retinal age is a more precise indicator to biological age. Retinal imaging is noninvasive, cost effective, fast and safe.
“Retinal age gap can be used as a tool for CVD risk stratification,” she concluded.
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Zhu LZ, et al. Association of retinal age gap with arterial stiffness and incident cardiovascular disease. Presented at: Academy; Oct. 26-29, 2022; San Diego.
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