Can an optician tell if you are at risk of having a heart attack? It may show signs of screening during eye tests –

A scan during routine eye exams can identify patients at high risk of heart attack, according to one study.

Experts say the tests will allow doctors to intervene immediately and reduce the danger.

Consider advice on smoking and exercising or prescribing medication to fight cholesterol and high blood pressure.

Researchers at the University of Edinburgh used the scans to create a personalized risk score for each patient.

It combines information about the structure of blood vessels in the retina at the back of the eye with genetic data and age, sex, blood pressure and weight. Their analysis was based on data from the UK biobank, which contains extensive medical information on 500,000 people.

Consider advice on smoking and exercising or prescribing medication to fight cholesterol and high blood pressure. Researchers at the University of Edinburgh used the scans to create a personalized risk score for each patient.

The model was able to predict heart attack risk better than existing methods, and the scientists say it could be used as a screening method.

Researcher Ana Villaplana-Velasco said: “We already knew that changes in the retinal vasculature can provide information about our health. Because retinal imaging is a noninvasive technique, we decided to explore the health benefits we could derive from these images.

“We found that a lower fractal dimension – simplified branching patterns of blood vessels – is associated with coronary artery disease and therefore myocardial infarction, commonly known as heart attack.”

It is believed that different blood vessel patterns in the retina can also be used to determine diabetes and stroke risk. The average age for a heart attack is 60, so it would be appropriate to calculate an individual risk score starting at age 50, Villaplana-Velasco said.

“This will allow doctors to recommend behaviors that can reduce risk, such as quitting smoking and keeping cholesterol and blood pressure normal.

“Our study demonstrates the importance of a comprehensive analysis of regularly collected data.”

The results will be presented today at the annual conference of the European Society for Human Genetics.

Professor Alexandre Reymond, chair of the conference, said: “This study now demonstrates the importance of prevention and how personalized health gives us the tools to do just that.”

One expert cautioned that the need to include genetic data in the calculation means their use may be limited in practice.