Scientists devise retinal scan to determine biological age

What's the news: A simple eye scan can now give an accurate measure of your biological age.

Why should we believe it: This news is based on a study published last month, March 2023. The study was performed by scientists at the Buck Institute, working together with Google Health and Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital.

How does this sci-fi technology work? Scientists have known for a while that the fundus, the blood vessel-rich tissue in the retina, is a good indicator of overall health. As we age, the vasculature in our eyes changes, and can even be predictive of disease, the state of our cardiovascular system, and even brain health.

This new test take advantage of this informativeness of retinal scans. The scientists in this study used a large body of existing aging data and retina scans to design a new test, eyeAge, which they say is noninvasive, inexpensive, and more accurate than other aging clocks.

Why this is a big deal: The more quickly, easily, and accurately we can track biological age, the better we will understand how various interventions are slowing or even reversing aging.

An easy, quick, and cheap eye-scan aging clock could allow the entire field of longevity to move forward more quickly. It could giving each of us a simple way to see how our diet, supplementation, and exercise habits are contributing to our aging — or younging.

So what specifically can you do now: The eyeAge test is not available to the public yet. The lead researcher in this study, Pankaj Kapahi, says the test can be available in under a year. Keep reading Long Youthspan, and as soon as eyeAge becomes publicly available, I'll be sure to let you know.