One of the key contributions of the study is the work around the biological pathways that might link the eye to disease in the brain, blood vessels and heart.
Genetic analyses showed that eye features are linked to genes involved in neurodegenerative disease pathways, including those related to Parkinson’s disease, dementia, and broader neurodegeneration.
Physiological analyses linked eye features to blood pressure, blood vessel stiffness, and the function of the heart.
‘Radiomic analyses’ – which turn medical images into measurable data – showed associations between eye features and the size of the brain, as well as tiny changes in the brain’s tissue structure detected using MRI scans.
By studying the tiny molecules in the blood, the researchers also found several connections between features in the eye and fat‑related molecules in the body, which may link the eye to general health.
Lead author Dr Tom Julian, Medical Research Council Clinical Research Training Fellow, is an eye doctor and researcher at the University of Manchester and Manchester Royal Eye Hospital, part of Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust.
He said: “Our findings show that the eye can reveal a remarkably broad picture of whole‑body health, offering a way to identify those at risk of heart and brain disease before they occur.
“Our study advances the use of deep‑learning‑derived eye traits in large‑scale biomedical research.”
Dr Panos Sergouniotis, Wellcome Clinician Scientist, Senior Lecturer and Honorary Consultant, from The University of Manchester, who oversaw this interdisciplinary work alongside Professor Alejandro Frangi FREng, also from the University, said: “While more work is needed before these tests could arrive on the high street – we hope and believe that routine eye tests will one day be used as part of health screening for disease prevention.”
Professor Frangi is also a RAEng Chair and Digital Infrastructure Programme Co-Lead at the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Manchester Biomedical Research Centre’.
He said: “Using scans available on every high street, an eye test may become much more than a way to check your glasses prescription.”
“This work shows the interdisciplinary work ongoing in Manchester thanks to generous support by various translational structures, including the NIHR Manchester Biomedical Research Centre, and the BHF Manchester Centre of Research Excellence, among other funders”.
- Multi-omic analysis of deep learning-derived phenotypes links ophthalmic imaging to cardiovascular and neurological traits is published in Nature Cardiovascular Research on Tuesday 16 June at 4pm UK time. DOI
- Funders included: the Medical Research Council; the Wellcome Trust; the British Heart Foundation; the Royal Academy of Engineering; and the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Manchester Biomedical Research Centre.
“The University of Manchester is a public research university in Manchester, England. The main campus is south of Manchester City Centre on Oxford Road.”
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