Retinal Imaging Can ID Atrial Fibrillation Years Before Diagnosis

THURSDAY, Sept. 17, 2026 (HealthDay News) — Retinal imaging can identify atrial fibrillation (AF) years before diagnosis, according to a study published online Sept. 10 in PLOS Digital Health.

Josef Huemer, M.D., from NIHR Moorfields Biomedical Research Centre in London, and colleagues examined the association between multimodal retinal imaging parameters and prevalent and incident AF using data from two independent cohorts: AlzEye (50,651 participants) and the U.K. Biobank (39,013 participants without AF at baseline). Retinal sublayer thickness was extracted from macular optical coherence tomography, and retinovascular indices were extracted from color retinal photography.

The researchers found that prevalent AF (5,375 [11 percent]) in AlzEye was associated with significantly smaller retinal venular caliber (−0.05 µm) and a thinner macular retinal nerve fiber layer, ganglion cell-inner plexiform layer (mGCIPL), inner nuclear layer, and photoreceptor layer (−0.69, −1.96, −0.57, and −0.93 µm, respectively). A lower venular fractal dimension was seen in individuals with AF (−0.08), while arteriolar fractal dimension was higher (0.05). In the U.K. Biobank, evidence of thinner mGCIPL was replicated (−1.19 µm). During a mean of 4.0 years, 838 participants in the U.K. Biobank developed AF. Each standard deviation decrease in mGCIPL thickness was associated with a significant 27 percent increased risk for AF after adjustment for sociodemographic, clinical, and lifestyle factors.

“Although not intended to replace electrocardiogram-based diagnosis, retinal imaging could act as a complementary tool, catching those most at risk of atrial fibrillation before it causes real harm,” coauthor Siegfried K. Wagner, Ph.D., M.B.B.S., also from NIHR Moorfields Biomedical Research Centre, said in a statement.

Several authors disclosed ties to the biopharmaceutical industry.

Abstract/Full Text