The retina of the eye is considered the “window” that shows the general health of the human body. And now researchers from Mass Eye and Ear (which belongs to Massachusetts General Hospital) and the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard “saw” in the retina the possible future appearance of a multitude of diseases, as they reported in their study in the scientific journal “Science Translational Medicine” . In what way; By combining retinal imaging, genetics and big data, scientists have been able to estimate how likely a person is to develop eye diseases as well as systemic diseases years later.
Association of retinal thinning with systemic diseases
In fact, the researchers discovered an important connection between the thinning of different layers of the retina and the increase in the risk of eye, neuropsychiatric, cardiac, metabolic and lung diseases, while they also identified genes that are linked to the thickness of the retinal layers.
“We showed that retinal imaging could be used to predict the future risk of both eye disease and systemic disease,” said Seyedeh Mariam Zekavat, an ophthalmologist at Mass Eye and Ear and first author of the study. help prevent disease – if we know from a person’s retinal imaging that they are at increased risk of glaucoma or cardiovascular disease in the future, we will be able to refer them for further tests or to receive preventive treatment.”
It’s a matter of… position
The retina, thanks to its location, i.e. behind the transparent structures of the eye, is very “convenient” for non-invasive examination and imaging – after all, retinal imaging is a routine examination in Ophthalmology. Previous studies have shown a link between retinal health and systemic health issues including aging, cardiometabolic diseases such as diabetes and hypertension, and neurological diseases such as dementia, stroke and multiple sclerosis.
A “treasure trove” of health information
“We recently realized that there is much more information we can get from retinal imaging than we thought possible,” noted the study’s lead author. Nazli Zebardastdirector of Glaucoma Imaging at Mass Eye and Ear, assistant professor of ophthalmology at Harvard Medical School and lead author of the study, and added: “It’s really amazing that these non-invasive imaging can show a multitude of systemic diseases, both at the genetic and epidemiological level’.
The lead author of the new study, Nazli Zebardast, examines optical coherence tomography (OCT) scans of the retina to draw valuable conclusions about the retina’s connection to systemic diseases CREDIT: Mass Eye and Ear
The study on data of tens of thousands of people
In order to discover the correlation between retinal health and disease risk, and to identify genes associated with retinal health, the researchers analyzed data from 44,823 UK Biobank participants. of more than 500,000 Britons). All participants had undergone optical coherence tomography (OCT) – a retinal scan that is widely performed at Mass Eye and Ear but is not available in all eye centers worldwide, prompting researchers to call for its adoption as a routine test – but also in genetic testing and other tests in 2010 while they were monitored for any disease occurrence for an average of ten years.
Layer-by-layer analysis
Unlike previous studies that looked for genes linked to overall retinal health, in
specific case the scientists “penetrated” deeper into the role of the different cell layers that make it up. “Each layer is made up of different cell types with distinct structure and function. We have shown that the thickness of these layers is also associated with different diseases,” noted Dr. Zebardast.
Light on the genes of retinal health
The study also shed light on the genes and biological pathways that determine retinal health. This new knowledge may lead to future treatments, according to the researchers who identified a total of 259 genetic loci associated with retinal thickness.
The “key” area of the tunic
Of particular interest was the finding that many systemic diseases such as heart diseases, metabolic disorders, lung diseases and even kidney diseases are associated with thinning of the photoreceptor area of the retina, although, according to the researchers, further studies are now needed to confirm a causal relationship. The study authors also say that future research should include different populations and age groups, as the UK Biobank participants were predominantly white, aged 40-70.
A “deposit” of health for the future
“Patients come to us to check the health of their eyes. But wouldn’t it be good to be able to tell them a lot more than that, for example that they may be at increased risk of hypertension and should be tested, or that their family doctor should be aware?” said Dr Zebardast.
The online platform with the findings
The research team has created an online platform containing all of their findings (Ocular Knowledge Portal) so that other groups can explore the connection between the retina, genetics and different diseases and put their own “pebble” in the relevant research .
#eyes #offer #prediction #multitude #physical #diseases
