Researchers at St George’s University of London have identified a link between twisted fundus arteries and elevated cardiovascular risk. In a study published in PLOS Genetics, they show that individuals with unusually curved retinal arteries tend to have higher diastolic blood pressure and an increased likelihood of heart-related issues. This work adds a new dimension to how clinicians understand blood vessel geometry and its impact on systemic health.
To reach these insights, the team applied artificial intelligence to retinal scans from nearly 53,000 participants. The AI system could reliably distinguish arteries from veins, assess their widths, and quantify how sharply the vessels curved across the retina. This large-scale approach enabled a precise exploration of microvascular structure and its relationship to blood pressure and cardiac risk, something that would be far more time-consuming with manual analysis alone.
The researchers found that pronounced curvature of the fundus arteries correlates with higher diastolic pressures and a greater propensity for cardiovascular disease. Earlier thinking suggested that high blood pressure might deform vessels, but the data indicate that preexisting vessel geometry could contribute to the development of hypertension and its complications, creating a feedback loop that warrants early attention and monitoring.
In a broader genetic context, the study identified 119 regions across the genome that influence the width and shape of fundus vessels. These regions may reflect biological pathways that govern vascular development and maintenance, offering new avenues for understanding individual risk profiles and potential therapeutic targets.
Looking ahead, genetic and imaging analyses like these could support future screening strategies. Fundus examination is a relatively simple, noninvasive procedure, which makes it feasible to incorporate into routine health assessments to flag people at higher risk of hypertension who could benefit from early intervention and lifestyle modification.