High street opticians could play a role in diagnosing depression in the future, according to new research. Scientists have found that specialized images of the back of the eye, which are often part of routine eye examinations, may reveal clues about an individual's risk of developing depression years down the line.
The study, which analyzed data from 40,000 British adults, indicated that individuals with wider veins leading to the retina were up to 50 percent more likely to develop depression over the subsequent decade. One hypothesis suggests that chronic inflammation, potentially driven by depression, could cause these retinal veins to widen.
Ophthalmologists from the International Eye Centre at Shantou University in China examined eye imaging data from healthy participants. These individuals were then monitored for an average of 11.3 years. During this period, 1,402 participants were diagnosed with depression. The researchers observed that wider retinal veins were associated with a 25 percent increased risk of the condition.
Published in the Journal of Affective Disorders, the study's authors stated that their findings provide significant evidence suggesting that vein widening precedes the onset of clinical depression. They noted that, in the absence of an objective diagnostic test for depression, retinal images present a promising and accessible avenue for potential diagnosis. However, the researchers emphasized that further investigation is required before retinal images can be routinely used for diagnosing the condition.