Artificial Intelligence in Assessing Cardiovascular Diseases and Risk
  Factors via Retinal Fundus Images: A Review of the Last Decade
Mirsaeed Abdollahi Ali Jafarizadeh Amirhosein Ghafouri Asbagh Navid Sobhi Keysan Pourmoghtader Siamak Pedrammehr Houshyar Asadi Roohallah Alizadehsani Ru-San Tan U. Rajendra Acharya
Background: Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) continue to be the leading cause
of mortality on a global scale. In recent years, the application of artificial
intelligence (AI) techniques, particularly deep learning (DL), has gained
considerable popularity for evaluating the various aspects of CVDs. Moreover,
using fundus images and optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA) to
diagnose retinal diseases has been extensively studied. To better understand
heart function and anticipate changes based on microvascular characteristics
and function, researchers are currently exploring the integration of AI with
non-invasive retinal scanning. Leveraging AI-assisted early detection and
prediction of cardiovascular diseases on a large scale holds excellent
potential to mitigate cardiovascular events and alleviate the economic burden
on healthcare systems. Method: A comprehensive search was conducted across
various databases, including PubMed, Medline, Google Scholar, Scopus, Web of
Sciences, IEEE Xplore, and ACM Digital Library, using specific keywords related
to cardiovascular diseases and artificial intelligence. Results: A total of 87
English-language publications, selected for relevance were included in the
study, and additional references were considered. This study presents an
overview of the current advancements and challenges in employing retinal
imaging and artificial intelligence to identify cardiovascular disorders and
provides insights for further exploration in this field. Conclusion:
Researchers aim to develop precise disease prognosis patterns as the aging
population and global CVD burden increase. AI and deep learning are
transforming healthcare, offering the potential for single retinal image-based
diagnosis of various CVDs, albeit with the need for accelerated adoption in
healthcare systems.