Researchers from DQBM’s Menze Lab, working with University Hospital Zurich and other collaborators, investigated whether retinal imaging could help assess cardiovascular risk. Published in Journal of Neurology, the study analysed 51,293 UK Biobank participants with a median follow-up of 14.7 years.
Thinner retinal nerve fibre and ganglion cell-inner plexiform layers, measured using noninvasive optical coherence tomography, were associated with subsequent stroke, heart attack or cardiovascular death. These associations persisted after adjustment for established cardiovascular risk factors.
However, retinal measurements added little to prediction models incorporating established risk factors. Further prospective validation is needed to assess their clinical value.