A Problem in Your Eye can Also be a Problem in Your Kidney

Artificial intelligence using certain biomarkers in the eyes can indicate how healthy your kidneys are.

Highlights:

As the eyes and kidneys have a similar developmental pathway, diseases affecting these two organs can be diagnosed together
Artificial intelligence-powered biomarkers on the retinal image can denote the presence of kidney disease //
Regular screening of the eyes can help detect renal diseases

A biomarker powered artificial intelligence retinal scan that is based on retinal imaging of eyes with illness was associated with a 10% higher risk of incident kidney failure.

Chronic kidney disease is a growing public health concern around the world. The eye and the kidney share a unique and a significant morphological, developmental, and genetic pathways, indicating that kidney disease and optical disease may be closely related.

Routine Eye Examination
A comprehensive eye exam can take an hour or more, depending on the doctor and the number and complexity of tests required to fully evaluate vision and the health of the patient’s eyes.

‘Artificial intelligence (AI) has paved its way to diagnose kidney disease through a non-invasive retina scan that uses AI driven biomarkers on retinal images to diagnose retinal pathologies.’

A growing body of research has identified links between chronic kidney disease (CKD) and age-related macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy, glaucoma, and cataract.

Furthermore, retinal micro-vascular characteristics have been found to predict chronic kidney disease. Diabetes, hypertension, smoking, and obesity are all vascular risk factors for chronic kidney disease, as are pathogenic pathways such as inflammation, oxidative stress, endothelial dysfunction, and micro-vascular dysfunction.

Although age-related biomarkers have been linked to kidney failure, practical application has been difficult. The retinal age gap (retina-predicted age minus chronological age), a validated clinical and artificial intelligence-driven aging biomarker based on retinal imaging, was linked with the future risk of kidney failure among UK residents in a recent study published in the American Journal of Kidney Diseases (AJKD). This non-invasive and age-related biomarker could help identify people at high risk of kidney failure.

Prevention of Kidney Disease - Causes & Prevention
Kidney damage is usually detected at advanced stages. Healthy lifestyle, keeping diabetes and blood pressure under check, and regular tests can help prevent it.

Previous research has extensively documented the link between retinopathy and CKD. However, few previous investigations only have looked at the potential link between retinal vascular characteristics and CKD.

In the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA), smaller retinal arterioles were found to be linked with the incidence of CKD in white exudates. Both retinal arteriolar and venular constriction were related to blood creatinine in the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities Study (ARIC).

Gene Responsible for Diabetic Retinopathy, Kidney Diseases Identified
A study led by researchers has uncovered a gene called erythropoietin (EPO), which is associated with an increased risk of severe diabetic eye and kidney diseases.

The correlations between retinal vascular calibre and renal impairment may have been obscured by selective mortality and survival bias.

Screening to Preserve Vision and Kidney

Microvascular retinopathy is generally regarded as non-threatening to vision, although diabetic retinopathy and macular degeneration are not. Patients with diabetes should have their retinas screened every two years, or more frequently if abnormalities are found. Patients with macular degeneration grades 4 and 5 should be evaluated by an ophthalmologist. Interventions can help diabetics keep their vision, and monitoring can help prevent the consequences of macular degeneration and other retinal illnesses.

And with this study, it is a clear sign to get your kidneys examined in case of any eye disease, as it would serve as a precautionary measure to safeguard your kidney by catching any kidney related abnormality at an early stage.

Study Shows How Certain Osmolytes Cause Kidney Damage
The mechanism by which osmolytes are used to treat high fluid pressure in the eye and skull and cause kidney damage has been discovered.

The biggest advantage of this scan is that a general practitioner can perform the retinal image capture, and if a high disease risk is detected, the patient can be referred to a specialist for additional testing.

Source-Medindia