NEW DELHI: The shape and size of veins and arteries on your retina can predict stroke risk almost as accurately as traditional risk factors, but without the need for invasive tests, according to a new study.
Published in international journal Heart, the study claims that the vascular network of the retina, the layer of cells lining the back wall inside the eye that senses light and sends signals to the brain so you can see, is very similar to that of the brain.
Therefore, it says, one can use a simple retinal scan to assess the health of these veins and arteries of the retina to predict potential damage to the brain’s blood vessels. This includes examining the calibre (length, diameter, ratio) density, twistedness, branching angle and complexity of the veins and arteries.
In the Heart study, researchers looked at the health data of 45,161 people aged above 55, collected as part of the UK biobank study. Of them, 749 people developed stroke over a period of 12.5 years.
These people tended to be significantly older, male, current smokers, and to have diabetes. They also weighed more, had higher blood pressure, and lower levels of ‘good’ cholesterol, all of which are known risk factors for stroke.
When the researchers examined their retinal images, they found that increased arc length and chord length of the retinal blood vessels were associated with a higher risk of stroke. Similar changes in calibre indicators – length, diameter, ratio – were also found to be associated with an increased risk of stroke.
