Australian-led research finds link between retinal thickness, common diseases

Sydney, Feb 5 (IANS) Retinal thickness could be an early indicator of diseases such as Type 2 diabetes and dementia, according to study by a team of Australian-led international researchers on Wednesday.

Researchers led by the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research (WEHI) in Melbourne analysed over 50,000 eyes to better understand how retinal differences are linked to various diseases, Xinhua news agency reported.

By producing maps of the retina in unprecedented detail, the researchers found that retinal thinning is connected to common conditions, including type 2 diabetes, dementia and multiple sclerosis (MS).

The retina, the light-sensitive layer of tissue at the back of the eye, is part of the central nervous system, which comprises the brain and the spinal cord.

Dementia, diabetes and MS are all linked to the degeneration or disruption of the system.

Retinal thinning, or lattice degeneration, refers to the gradual loss of tissue in the retina.

Vicki Jackson, leader of the new research from WEHI, said the findings show that retinal imaging could be used as a window to the central nervous system to help manage disease.

"Our maps' fine-scale measurements reveal critical new details about connections between retinal thinning and a range of common conditions," Jackson said.

"This research underscores the potential for retinal thickness to act as a diagnostic biomarker to aid in detecting and tracking the progression of numerous diseases," she added.

The team, which included researchers from the UK and the US, used AI to create the 50,000 maps with measurements at over 29,000 points across each retina.

The detailed maps allowed the team to identify 294 genes that influence retinal thickness and play an important role in disease.

Researchers said the findings open up new possibilities for using routing eye imaging as a tool to screen for and manage diseases.