A vascular ‘fingerprint’ on the light sensitive tissue layer at the back of the eye-the retina-can predict a person’s risk of stroke as accurately as traditional risk factors alone, but without the need for multiple invasive lab tests, finds research published online in the journal Heart.
The fingerprint, comprising 29 indicators of vascular health, is a practical and readily implementable approach that is particularly well suited for primary healthcare and low-resource settings, conclude the researchers.
Stroke affects around 100 million people around the globe and kills 6.7 million of them every year, point out the researchers. Most cases are caused by modifiable risk factors, such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, poor diet, and smoking.
The retina’s intricate vascular network is known…