Cross-organ Analysis Reveals Associations between Vascular Properties of the Retina, the Carotid and Aortic Artery, and the Brain.

A preprint abstract from medrxiv.org discusses the relationship between vascular properties of the retina and other organs in the body. The study used data from the UK Biobank and found correlations between retinal vascular morphology and cardiovascular health markers such as carotid intima-media thickness, aortic cross-sectional areas, and white matter hyperintensities. The study also identified potential shared genetic influences between retinal and non-retinal phenotypes. The findings suggest that retinal imaging could be a non-invasive tool for assessing systemic vascular health. However, it is important to note that this preprint has not yet undergone peer review. [Extracted from the article]