'Retinal Age Gap' Linked to Arterial Stiffness and CVD Risk!
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A 1-year increase in the retinal age gap, defined as fundus image predicted age minus chronologic age, is associated with a significant increase in arterial stiffness index (ASI), an early indicator of atherosclerosis and a predictor of future cardiovascular disease (CVD) events. The retinal age gap is a potential novel independent biomarker for future incident CVD events.
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@debdut Prevention and early detection of CVD are needed to minimize CVD morbidity and mortality. Previously developed CVD risk calculators, such as the Cardiovascular Risk Score (QRISK), the Systemic Coronary Risk Evaluation (SCORE), and the Framingham risk score, are limited by lack of precision, information bias for questionnaire-based models, and the need for invasive procedures. The retina, highly vascular and readily accessible to noninvasive imaging and evaluations, offers a surrogate noninvasive tool to assess systemic vasculature.