Biological Retinal Age Predicts Fractures

New study says AI-based retinal imaging has potential to be used as a screening tool for osteoporosis risk

To evaluate whether retinal aging could serve as a non-invasive biomarker for skeletal health.

Higher RetiAGE scores were associated with lower bone mineral density (BMD) and worse T-scores in the PIONEER cohort.
Each standard deviation increase in RetiAGE was linked to significantly increased fracture risk metrics.
In the UK Biobank cohort, higher retinal biological age independently predicted incident osteoporosis over a mean follow-up of 12.2 years.
Participants in the highest RetiAGE quartile had a 40% higher risk of developing osteoporosis compared to those in the lowest quartile.

The RetiAGE algorithm was trained in a Korean population, which may affect generalizability across different ethnicities.
The study focused on association rather than real-world screening implementation.