Eye scans could reveal kidney disease

Experts at Edinburgh University said the technology could support early diagnosis of kidney disease as current screening tests cannot detect the condition until half of the kidney function has been lost. The team’s findings are detailed in Nature Communications. 

Researchers used highly magnified images to detect changes to the retina and found that the images offer a quick, non-invasive way to monitor kidney health.

In a statement, Dr Aisling McMahon, executive director of research and policy at Kidney Research UK, said: “Kidney patients often face invasive procedures to monitor their kidney health, often on top of receiving gruelling treatments like dialysis.

“This fantastic research shows the potential for a far kinder way of monitoring kidney health.”

The eye is the only part of the body where it is possible to view microvascular circulation, and this flow of blood through the body’s smallest vessels is often affected in kidney disease.