An eye exam when you visit an ophthalmologist reveals so much about your vision. A new application of artificial intelligence shows if the patient is at risk of a heart attack, stroke, or has high blood pressure through the eyes as researchers at Google mentioned. It is not new that eyes can show signs of disease in other parts of the body. In a routine eye exam, diabetes, cancers, and other illnesses can be detected by your doctor.
According to a report in The Verge, the technology with Google AI has the potential of detecting diseases faster and cheaper. It is also possible to provide the public tools that allow them to screen themselves. Google DeepMind can detect over 50 eye diseases accurately just like a doctor. With this, there is greater consistency and quality of care for patients who are suffering from eye problems.
Can Artificial Intelligence Help in Preventing Blindness?
In a worldwide setting, there have been more than 400 million people who are affected by diabetes. It is crucial to manage diabetic retinopathy. People affected by the disease can suffer from blindness. In fact, diabetic retinopathy is the leading cause of blindness. Only half of the people with diabetes get their eyes examined as recommended every year. Telemedicine helps in improving the access for patients through allowing ophthalmologists to assess photos of the patients’ retina remotely.
Artificial intelligence systems can help in improving the accuracy and speed of eye examinations. It is also a great help in underserved areas because they can access eye examinations without going to medical centers that are far from their area. In some cases, the AI system can exceed the abilities of humans. It will take a lot of data and preparation for the system to perform extensive tasks.
Can the New AI Algorithm Predict Heart Disease by Looking at the Eyes?
A new way was discovered by scientists from Google and a health-tech subsidiary Verily to use machine learning to assess the risk of heart disease of a person. Scans of the back of a patient’s eye will be analyzed to predict their risk of suffering a heart attack. With the algorithm, it is possible to be quicker and easier for doctors to analyze the cardiovascular risk of a patient without requiring a blood test. The method has not yet been used in a clinical setting an requires more thorough testing.
