“To me the eyes”. How many times on the big screen have we heard this phrase, when a hypnosis expert was preparing to capture the attention of the “victim” and the public by drawing attention to himself. Well, perhaps, in the future, this formula could be repeated by the ophthalmologist and not only during the regular visit that must be done to find out how and when something is not working best for the sight, but also to identify any first signs of pain in the arteries.
How? Going to find very slight alterations that can be grasped with a simple “photograph” of the eye. To propose this original and interesting screening strategy is a research conducted by experts from the University of Bonn, which appeared on Scientific Reports.
Not just coronary
The cardiovascular system is very complex and articulated, through a network of large and then smaller vessels that carry blood and oxygen to every area of the body. When we think of atherosclerosis, or the deposition of plaques along the walls of the arteries, we immediately think of the presence of this phenomenon in the coronary arteries, the vessels that supply the heart, or perhaps the “ducts” that carry blood to the brain. But atherosclerosis it is almost always generalized and the deposits increase over time, often without creating any disturbance.
According to the study, the eye could become a sort of “window” from which to observe what happens in the vessels that supply it, then transferring the information to the entire cardiovascular system and thus revealing who should pay particular attention to the problem. this was precisely the aim of the German scholars.
Thanks to a specific computer program, in fact, they managed to visualize the first vascular changes of the vessels they supply the back of the eye, thus having a “look”, it is appropriate to say, on the general situation of the vascular system. The objective of the system, which must obviously be tested on large numbers, is simple: to be able to reach an early diagnosis of vascular problems related to diffuse atherosclerosis, which can involve the risk of developing heart attacks or strokes but also problems in walking, due to the scarce supply of oxygen to the legs.
The software helps
The study, in particular, looked at around 100 people with arterial disease, many of whom did not have any ailments. Then they compared the images collected with a sort of “photograph” of the back of the eye with those of more than 30 people who were perfectly healthy. Through a special computer system, then, the experts have prepared an algorithm capable of capturing the aspects of interest for the evaluation of the results.
We have thus come to understand, even if we are still at the beginning, that it is precisely through the eye that we can have a general look at the well-being of the arteries and therefore develop targeted prevention strategies for each individual person. The efficiency and precision of the system, even if not complete, were nevertheless satisfactory. It is really the case to continue with the studies, since they could help us to better preserve not only the blood vessels but also the whole organism.