The retinal aging clock predicts osteoporosis risk

The retina reveals what bones conceal: researchers have developed RetiAGE, an artificial intelligence–derived biological aging marker that estimates retinal age from fundus photographs, and shown it predicts osteoporosis risk with precision. In the Singapore cohort of 1,965 older adults, higher retinal age correlated with lower bone mineral density and reduced T-scores; in the UK Biobank's 43,938 participants, predicted retinal age associated with increased risk of developing osteoporosis over time, even after adjusting for conventional risk factors. The finding underscores that the retina mirrors systemic biological processes: since osteoporosis often goes undiagnosed until fracture (partly because DEXA access remains limited), this non-invasive test opens an opportunistic screening pathway for those seeking to assess bone vulnerability before damage becomes irreversible.