A daily cardiovascular risk score used in primary care may also act as an early warning system for significant eye illness, according to a new UCLA Health study published in the journal Ophthalmology. Researchers report that information already in medical records can help identify who will lose vision years before symptoms occur. 

The study focuses on the Pooled Cohort Equations (PCE) score, a typical instrument used by clinicians to assess a person's chance of having a heart attack or stroke within the following ten years. It is estimated using standard health information such as age, cholesterol, blood pressure, smoking status, and diabetes. Researchers now believe the same score can predict future eye injury.

The findings are significant because millions of people develop eye disorders discreetly, with vision loss sometimes discovered only after it has become difficult to reverse. Age-related macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy, and glaucoma are all associated with poor blood flow and damaged blood vessels, which are also responsible for heart disease. 

To investigate the link, researchers examined electronic health information from 35,909 persons aged 40 to 79 years who participated in the All of Us Research Program between 2009 and 2015. Based on their PCE scores, participants were divided into four cardiovascular risk categories: low, borderline, intermediate, and high. The team then examined the progression of major eye disorders over the next five to seven years, accounting for factors such as body weight, kidney disease, education, and racial subgroups that were not included in the score. 

The findings were remarkable. Adults in the highest risk category were 6.2 times more likely to acquire age-related macular degeneration and nearly six times more likely to develop diabetic retinopathy compared to those in the lowest risk group. The risk of hypertensive retinopathy was 4.5 times greater, retinal vein occlusion 3.4 times higher, and glaucoma more than doubled. The score was especially helpful at predicting eye problems associated with diabetes and high blood pressure. 

These findings reveal a closer relationship between cardiovascular and ocular health than previously acknowledged. Damage to small blood vessels can limit the flow of oxygen and nutrients to the retina, progressively decreasing vision. 

"We discovered that a simple score already calculated in millions of doctor visits per year may meaningfully predict who will develop serious eye diseases," said Dr Anne L. Coleman, the study's senior author and chair of the Department of Ophthalmology at UCLA Health. "This allows us to identify high-risk individuals early on, while preventive interventions can still protect their vision. The benefit of this technique is that no new testing is required; the data is already in the medical record." 

The researchers said the next step is to figure out how frequently high-risk patients should be referred for eye exams and whether early screening based on cardiovascular risk can avoid blindness. If validated, the strategy could enable primary care doctors to preserve their eyesight with instruments they already have.