The Retina as a Tool for Discerning Changes in the Brain

"Looking at the retina - when you are able to really see it - is like looking at the universe, there is so much there," said Andrew S. Kimmel, MD, who shared his passion for ophthalmology and the study of the retina in particular.

FOUNTAIN HILL, PA  (Catholic Online) - Dr. Kimmel is the Medical Director of the St. Luke's University Hospital Retina Center and Kimmel and Associates PC, both in Fountain Hill, Pennsylvania. He has more than 23 years experience diagnosing and treating retina and vitreous diseases.

Dr. Kimmel commented on a recent study led by Dr. Mary Haan of the University of California, San Francisco, that found that women over 65 with even a mild form of retinopathy were more likely to suffer cognitive decline and related vascular changes in the brain.

"Medical News Today" reported in a March 15 article that data for the study was collected from the Women's Health Initiative Memory Study and the Site Examination study, two sub-investigations of the Women's Health Initiative Clinical Trial of Hormone Therapy.

Dr. Kimmel explained, "In layman's terms, this means that the eyes and brain share a common source for blood flow.  Blood is what carries oxygen to the body's organs.  If the blood flow to the eyes is suboptimal, then retinopathy may occur.  If the blood flow to the brain is suboptimal, then brain function will be diminished, as measured in this study by cognitive scores.  This study's premise is that there is a correlation between the presence of retinopathy, which is largely a manifestation of compromised blood flow to the eye, and decreased cognitive scores, which is largely due to compromised blood flow to the brain."

When asked whether Dr. Kimmel would be using this study in his practice he said  he could see this study having practical applications under the auspices of the new ACOs (Accountable Care Organizations).

According to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, ACOs, "are groups of doctors, hospitals, and other health care providers, who come together voluntarily to give coordinated, high quality care to their Medicare patients.The goal of coordinated care is to ensure that patients, especially the chronically ill, get the right care at the right time, while avoiding unnecessary duplication of services and preventing medical errors. When an ACO succeeds both in delivering high-quality care and spending health care dollars more wisely, it will share in the savings it achieves for the Medicare program."

Since much of the study has cross implications for both retina specialists and neurologists, an ACO could offer an easier way to refer patients seen in Dr. Kimmel's practice to a neurologist for cognitive testing.

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