Screening for cardiovascular disease risk through retinal imaging

Heart Eye debuted an artificial-intelligence (AI) powered cardiovascular screening technology that utilises retinal imaging at 100% Optical 2025 (1–3 March).

Dr.Noon CVD analyses retinal vessel images with AI to predict future cardiovascular risk.

Dr Husain Khaki, managing director of Heart Eye, which exhibited for the first time at 100% Optical this year, told OT: “The problem with cardiovascular disease now is that we are detecting it quite late, when patients already have symptoms. There is an opportunity to get your eyes tested and an opportunity to detect CVD at an asymptomatic stage.”

Practitioners can upload fundus photography to the Dr.Noon CVD system. The anonymised images go to a Europe-based, GDPR compliant cloud, and a report is generated within three minutes.

“We use tiny changes in the blood vessels, arteries, veins, the ratio between them, and how blood flows through them, to give accuracy on par with a CT scan,” Khaki explained.

The technology was initially validated in Korea, and subsequently with the UK Biobank. The system is also MHRA approved and CE-marked.

Khaki commented: “The beauty of this is that optometrists are already capturing these images with their retinal scanners. You would use the existing retinal image, upload it to our cloud and get a report in two to three minutes generated with AI, and counsel patients appropriately.”

The report provides an indication of a low, medium, or high-risk score. A high-risk score suggests the individual is likely to have a heart event, such as a heart attack or stroke, in the next five years.

If a patient is found to be in the high-risk category, a dedicated pathway is provided with recommendations for how practitioners can counsel patients appropriately on next steps.

The technology, which has been in development since 2016, is now being used in several practices in London.

“Patients really appreciate this additional service,” Khaki said, adding: “Optometry offers a great window for patients to come in for preventative screening. Patients are already coming for their eye scans – this is another opportunity for optometry practices to generate revenue while providing a great service to their patients.”

Cardiovascular disease is the first use-case for the technology, but the company is also exploring the detection of COPD and kidney disease.