Aging can be detected by the eyes

Today, blood tests, ECG, ultrasound, and other complex procedures are needed to detect heart disease, stroke, or dementia. But all this can be replaced with a quick and painless eye scan, which takes a few minutes and does not require contact with the body.

The data of more than 74 thousand people was collected and the results of retinal scans were compared with their genetics and biochemical blood parameters. It turned out that people with a less extensive vascular network of the eye are more likely to experience inflammation, one of the signs of accelerated aging. The same changes are characteristic of an increased risk of heart and vascular diseases.

In fact, the retina becomes a window into the vascular system of the entire body. The slightest changes in its structure reflect the processes taking place inside the body. This means that doctors will be able to notice signs of aging and developing diseases long before the first symptoms appear.

Moreover, the analysis of genetic data has helped scientists identify specific proteins that can accelerate vascular aging. Now researchers are considering them as new therapeutic targets — based on these discoveries, it will be possible to create drugs that can slow down the aging of the vascular system and reduce the risk of heart attacks and strokes.

The main conclusion is simple: just one glance — or rather, one eye shot — is enough to see how our body lives and ages. Perhaps in the future, going to an ophthalmologist will not only be a visual check, but also a way to find out how young our blood vessels and heart are.