British researchers have developed an artificial intelligence (AI) system capable of specifying the risk of heart problems in sixty seconds. Called Quartz, this technology scans a person’s eyes to image the veins and arteries of the retina, as reported in a study published on Tuesday in the British Journal of Ophthalmology and picked up by HuffPost and The Guardian.
“This AI tool could allow a person to know in sixty seconds or less their level of risk”, assured the British newspaper Professor Alicja Rudnicka, lead author of the study.
Faster, non-intrusive risk assessment
This technique saves time. There is no need to perform blood tests or check a person’s blood pressure to assess the risk of cardiovascular disease, cardiovascular death and stroke.
Doctors could then adapt treatments according to the aggravating factors already known for a patient. “A person who learns that their risk is higher than expected could be prescribed statins (treatment to treat excess cholesterol in cardiovascular disease) or be offered another intervention,” added Alicja Rudnicka.