How a simple eye scan could tell how likely you are to die in the next decade 

How a simple eye scan could tell how likely you are to die in the next decade 
How a simple eye scan could tell how likely you are to die in the next decade 
How a simple eye scan could tell how likely you are to die in the next decade Study says people with retinas older than their actual age were at increased risk  Each 1 year age gap between the two came with a 2% increased chance of death  Retina age scans could be a screening tool to find at risk people, experts hope Research saw international team examine retina scans taken of 36,000 Britons 

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Eye scans could in the future be used to calculate your risk of dying, researchers have suggested. 

Academics claim the retina acts as a 'window' in allowing doctors to take a deeper look at someone's health. 

And Australian scientists have now linked a bigger 'retinal age gap' to a heightened risk of death. 

The gap is the difference between someone's chronological age and the estimated biological age of their retina. 

The latter can be calculated by an AI programme that analyses images taken of the fundus, the internal back surface of the eye. Some high street opticians offer these scans. 

People with gaps of a decade were up to 67 per cent more likely to die, according to Australian experts who tracked volunteers for 11 years.  

Academics calculated there was a 2 per cent increased risk of death for every year of gap. 

Experts analysed retina scans taken from 36,000 Britons, they found those with retinas older than their biological age were at increased risk of death. Each one year gap between a person's retina age and their biological age was associated with a 2 per cent increased risk of death

Experts analysed retina scans taken from 36,000 Britons, they found those with retinas older than their biological age were at increased risk of death. Each one year gap between a person's retina age and their biological age was associated with a 2 per cent increased risk of death 

What is the retina? 

The retina is a layer of cells at the back of the eyeball opposite the pupil.

It is responsible for converting light which enters the eye into chemical messages.

These chemical messages are sent to the brain and interpreted as the images that form our sense of sight.

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