An ageing population with escalating chronic disease.
As the global population ages, life-impacting chronic disease continues to escalate with significant social, economic, and healthcare consequences.
Vision impairment.
When we age, we’re at increased risk of developing conditions such as diabetic retinopathy (DR), glaucoma, and neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD). In 2020, these diseases collectively caused over 19 million cases of moderate or worse vision impairment in adults aged 50 and over, with a global financial burden estimated at US$ 411 billion annually.1
The impact on quality of life is profound. Vision impairment can affect a person’s social interactions, independence, education, emotional well-being, mobility, safety, access to information and ability to work. Individuals with vision impairment face a 30.2% relative reduction in employment.2
Cardiovascular disease (CVD).
One of the most common chronic conditions linked with ageing is CVD. As we age, our risk of heart-related conditions like coronary artery disease, heart failure, and hypertension increases, leading to an elevated risk of heart attacks, strokes, and other cardiovascular events.
People with vision impairment also exhibit an increased risk of cardiovascular disease. For example, in adults with eye diseases, there is a 39% prevalence of heart disease.3 In 2015, CVD affected an estimated 422.7 million people and caused 17.9 million deaths worldwide, accounting for 31% of global deaths.4
The solution
Optain harnesses the power of advanced AI-enabled retinal imaging technology to non-invasively evaluate patient health and identify diseases that affect the microvascular system.
We empower clinicians and practitioners with the evidence they need to detect and support the diagnosis of the early signs of chronic conditions quickly and accurately. And set new benchmarks with affordable clinical disease screening tools, allowing clinicians to act faster and prevent significant impacts on quality of life.
Team
Optain is a global medical device and software company. Our roots can be traced back to the Australian-founded company Eyetelligence Pty Ltd, which was launched in 2019. Our AI retinal screening technology is the result of over a decade of research conducted by Professor Mingguang He, a leading researcher at the University of Melbourne and Centre for Eye Research in Australia.
References.
1 [Blindness and vision impairment (who.int)](https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/blindness-and-visual-impairment).
2 [The Lancet Global Health Commission on Global Eye Health: vision beyond 2020 – The Lancet Global Health](https://www.thelancet.com/journals/langlo/article/PIIS2214-109X(20)30488-5/fulltext)
3 [The Lancet Global Health Commission on Global Eye Health: vision beyond 2020 – The Lancet Global Health](https://www.thelancet.com/journals/langlo/article/PIIS2214-109X(20)30488-5/fulltext)
4 Roth GA, Johnson C, Abajobir A, et al. Global, regional, and national burden of cardiovascular diseases for 10 causes, 1990 to 2015. J Am Coll Cardiol 2017; 70: 1–25.; Mozaffarian D. Global scourge of cardiovascular disease: time for health care systems reform and precision population health. J Am Coll Cardiol 2017; 70: 26–28.
