AI Diagnoses Heart Disease and Diabetes

Through the eye, British researchers are testing artificial intelligence’s ability to detect early signs of heart disease and diabetes in eye images, before symptoms appear. They hope that routine eye examinations will help doctors identify individuals who may need additional diagnostic tests. The project focuses on the tiny blood vessels and nerve tissue at the back of the eye. Researchers will analyze images taken during routine eye exams, then compare the changes detected by software in these images with patients’ medical records. The key question they aim to answer is whether these changes precede the onset of disease and how accurate they are in predicting it. The Northern Institute for Ophthalmic Research and Innovation, part of Sunderland University, has received £12.2 million in government funding. Matthew Campbell, co-director of the institute, explained that the funding will help researchers develop and test the technology within healthcare institutions. The team plans to expand their research in the future to investigate whether eye images also contain early indicators of the risk of dementia or stroke.