Infanta Leonor University Hospital uses AI to detect atherosclerosis via retinal images

The Infanta Leonor University Hospital in Madrid has released results from the Aitheroscope project, which utilizes artificial intelligence to identify subclinical atherosclerosis through retinal imaging. By analyzing fundus images of the eye, the AI can detect existing arterial disease before clinical symptoms, such as heart attacks or strokes, manifest.

The study, published in the European Heart Journal – Digital Health, involved 931 individuals with no prior history of cardiovascular disease. Researchers used non-mydriatic retinography alongside carotid and femoral artery ultrasounds as a reference method. The findings revealed that 50.8% of participants presented with subclinical atherosclerosis despite having no previous cardiovascular events. The Aitheroscope tool demonstrated high diagnostic capability, identifying 93.4% of individuals with the condition.