A new study from the University of Leicester has found that a simple eye test could help spot hidden heart problems in people with type 2 diabetes. This could lead to earlier treatment and better outcomes for patients at risk of heart disease.
The research, recently published in the journal Scientific Reports, focused on people with type 2 diabetes. In this condition, high blood sugar levels can damage blood vessels throughout the body. One common result of this damage is diabetic eye disease, where the small blood vessels in the eye are harmed.
For many years, people with type 2 diabetes have been getting regular eye screenings. These screenings use digital cameras to take pictures of the retina—the light-sensitive layer at the back of the eye. Doctors use these images to look for signs of diabetic damage, such as swollen or leaky blood vessels. If not treated, this damage can lead to vision loss.
But the new study suggests that these same eye images may also tell us something important about the heart.
Dr. Gaurav Gulsin, who led the study, explained that since the same kind of blood vessel damage happens in the heart, changes in the eyes might be a warning sign of hidden heart disease. The researchers wanted to know whether eye damage seen in routine screenings could be linked to problems in the heart—even before any symptoms appear.
To test this idea, the research team studied 255 people with type 2 diabetes. Each person had several non-invasive heart scans at Leicester’s Glenfield Hospital. These scans looked at how well the heart was working and checked for early signs of damage or disease. Then, the results of the heart scans were compared with the participants’ digital eye photos.
What they found was striking. People who had signs of diabetic retinopathy—damage to the retina—were also more likely to have silent heart disease. This included early signs of heart failure and more buildup of fatty plaques in the arteries supplying the heart.
These heart problems often have no symptoms in the early stages, which means many people don’t know they have them until it’s too late. The study shows that using eye screening results could be a simple and effective way to flag people at risk.
Dr. Gulsin said that the research opens the door to using routine eye tests not just for eye health, but also as a tool to check heart health. “If we can spot heart problems earlier, we can start treatment sooner and possibly prevent serious issues like heart attacks or heart failure,” he said.
This study is a good example of how one medical test can give clues about more than one part of the body. Since people with type 2 diabetes already get regular eye checks, using those same images to assess heart health would be a cost-effective and non-invasive option.
More research is needed to turn this idea into standard practice. But for now, these findings suggest that the eyes may really be a window into the heart—especially for people with diabetes.
If you care about diabetes, please read studies about Vitamin D and type 2 diabetes, and to people with diabetes, some fruits are better than others.
For more health information, please see recent studies that low calorie diets may help reverse diabetes, and 5 vitamins that may prevent complication in diabetes.
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