Close to the eyes, close to the heart

The vessels in the eye can provide information about the heart condition of an individual and, by scanning the retina, prevent possible complications from a stroke.

Show me your retina and I'll tell you how your heart is doing. This is essentially the principle of the retinal scanner, invented by the University of Edinburgh. Scottish researchers have developed a retinal scanner that can be used to detect heart disease. Because the scanner provides an extremely accurate picture of the state of the blood vessels, it gives practitioners valuable information about the heart health of patients. In addition to its screening function, this eye examination has the advantage, according to the researchers, of avoiding invasive procedures that are otherwise more unpleasant, starting with biopsies, which are often carried out in cases of cerebrovascular disease.