A new study shows that AI-assisted eye scanning can reveal individuals' biological aging speed and hidden systemic diseases early on.
Scientists from Seoul National University in South Korea have determined that a new artificial intelligence-supported retina scanning method, which examines the back layer of the eye, can identify individuals' biological aging speed and hidden health risks. In the study, the AI system, trained with approximately 30,000 retina scans, was tested on about 15,000 different eye scans. It was reported that the model accurately predicted individuals' actual chronological age with an error margin of 2.5 to 2.7 years.
'DIABETES AND SMOKING RAPIDLY AGE THE RETINA'
The study found that the 'Retina Age Difference' value, which measures the gap between a person's calendar age and the biological age shown by the eye, is directly related to lifestyle and chronic diseases.
According to the data, the retinas of diabetic patients appeared on average 2.52 years older than their calendar age; smoking was found to add approximately half a year to the retina's biological age, while macular degeneration added 0.6 years.
'THE EYE COULD BE AN EARLY WARNING WINDOW FOR THE HEART AND BRAIN'
Researchers highlighted that the retina is a tissue directly connected to the brain and cardiovascular system in terms of vascular structure, suggesting that this scanning technology could be integrated into routine eye examinations.
Experts stated that fundus examinations could serve as a practical biological indicator not only for detecting vision disorders but also for diagnosing early aging, cardiovascular risks, and systemic internal diseases that have not yet shown clinical symptoms.
