Biological age measurement via AI-powered retinal scan
South Korean researchers have developed a model that calculates individuals' biological aging rate and hidden health risks through fundus scans.
Scientists from Seoul National University in South Korea have determined that an AI-powered new retinal scanning method examining the back layer of the eye can detect individuals' biological aging rates and hidden health risks.
Age determination with artificial intelligence
In the study, the artificial intelligence system trained with approximately 30,000 retinal scans was tested on about 15,000 different eye scans.
It was reported that the model accurately predicted individuals' actual chronological age with a margin of error of 2.5 to 2.7 years.
Retinal age gap and diseases
The study found that the Retinal Age Gap value, which measures the difference between a person's chronological age and the biological age shown by the eye, is directly related to lifestyle and chronic diseases.
According to the data, the retinas of diabetes patients were found to be an average of 2.52 years older than their chronological age, while smoking added approximately half a year and macular degeneration added 0.6 years of extra biological age to the retina.
A new indicator for systemic health
Pointing out that the retina is a tissue directly connected to the brain and cardiovascular system in terms of its vascular structure, the researchers stated that this scanning technology could be integrated into routine eye examinations.
Experts conveyed that fundus examinations could function as a practical biological indicator not only for diagnosing vision impairments early, but also for detecting early aging in the body, cardiovascular risks, and systemic internal diseases that have not yet shown clinical symptoms.