AI-Powered Eye Scans May Spot Diabetes and Heart Disease Early as UK Backs Sunderland Hub With £12.2 Million

SUNDERLAND, England — Routine eye tests could soon help detect diabetes and heart disease before symptoms appear, under a new British research project backed by government funding.

The Northern Ophthalmic Research and Innovation (NORI) hub at the University of Sunderland has secured £12.2 million in government funding through UK Research and Innovation to develop the technology and accelerate its use in healthcare.

How it works

The project will examine the tiny blood vessels and nerve tissue at the back of the eye, which can reveal information about a person's overall health. Researchers plan to use AI to study routine eye scans alongside NHS medical records and community health data to spot subtle changes before symptoms develop.

While the tool will initially focus on diabetes and cardiovascular disease, the approach could later expand to dementia and strokes.

Government support

UK Science Minister Chris McDonald, who visited the hub, said earlier diagnosis could improve patient outcomes while easing pressure on the NHS.

NORI is one of five new UKRI-backed healthcare hubs using technology to diagnose illnesses.

Matthew Campbell, co-director of NORI, said the funding would help take the technology into international markets. "This investment creates a new health innovation ecosystem for the North East," he said.

A growing field

The research builds on wider work in "oculomics," the use of eye imaging to detect systemic disease. A study published in Nature Medicine presented an AI system called Reti-Pioneer that scans retinal images to detect signs of diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, gout, osteoporosis and thyroid disease in seconds.

The hubs are research organizations, not product companies, so their output is validated science and clinical evidence rather than consumer devices.