A team of scientists at St George’s, University of London, used artificial intelligence tools to analyse the blood vessels found at the back of the eye and their connection with heart diseases.
The team discovered 119 areas in the genome (complete set of DNA) that help to determine the size and shape of these vessels and which could be used in routine eye checkups to help identify health problems.
In the past, scientists have shown that the shape and size of blood vessels on the retina are associated with health conditions including high blood pressure, heart disease, diabetes and obesity.
However, until now, little was known about how genetics play a role in determining the architectural characteristics of these blood vessels.
The researchers found that an increase in ‘twisting’ of the arteries could be a key element in the development of these conditions.
The team studied retinal images from nearly 53,000 people who were enrolled on a large study...