AI can look into your eyes and see your risks for heart disease. Moreover, it could give results in 60 seconds or less! Does this sound too good to be true?
The British Journal of Opthalmology released research that suggests it could be possible. It developed an AI health test that conducts cardiovascular screenings by checking a patient’s retina.
Alicja Rudnicka, the study’s lead author, explained its benefits to The Guardian. She said, “This AI tool could let someone know in 60 seconds or less their level of risk.”
How does the AI health test work?
Photo Credit: healthcare-in-europe.com
The Journal developed an AI algorithm called QUARTZ (QUantitative Analysis of Retinal vessels Topology and siZe) to check heart health via eye scans.
It uses a database of retinal images from 88,052 UK Biobank participants and 7,411 people from a European Prospective Investigation into Cancer (EPIC)-Norfolk study.
The database classified these photos according to the risks of heart attack and other cardiovascular diseases.
QUARTZ compares a patient’s eye scans to these photos so that it can diagnose potential issues. For example, if your eye scan is similar to a stroke patient, it would say you have a high risk for it.
The study applauds its potential to make heart tests more accessible by making them less expensive. Also, it is non-invasive as it does not require a blood test.
Pearse Keane, a researcher in ophthalmology and AI analysis, said that QUARTZ has many issues. More importantly, it must tackle the biggest challenge of going from “code to clinic.”
In other words, it would need further work to become available to the public. Health regulators must check its safety and efficacy before turning it into a commercial product.
Perhaps it would turn out like laser eye surgeries. They correct eyesight in less than 30 minutes with minuscule chances of side effects.
Conclusion
Artificial intelligence helps us perform tasks that were impossible a few years ago. For example, James Earl Jones allowed Disney to use his AI voice for future films with Darth Vader.
On the other hand, some projects fail. For example, Theranos promised to provide full health tests from a single drop of blood. Sadly, the product was not able to meet this goal.
As a result, people know it as one of the most well-known scams in the world. Will this AI health test become a true tech wonder? Stay tuned to Inquirer Tech for more updates!