World Heart Day: The eyes can reveal what the heart hides

Abu Dhabi: When KM (name changed), a 52-year-old Abu Dhabi businessman, woke to find the vision in his right eye clouded, he assumed he needed new glasses. He booked an eye examination at Bascom Palmer Eye Institute Abu Dhabi expecting a prescription. He left with a referral to a cardiologist - one his doctors believe may have protected both his sight and his heart.

Retinal imaging revealed changes in the blood vessels at the back of the Emirati Business man’s eye - the signature of uncontrolled high blood pressure he did not know he had. Untreated, the same pressure that was blurring his vision could have triggered a retinal vein occlusion, often called an "eye stroke" (a sudden blockage of blood flow inside the eye), or a cardiac event with far graver consequences.

The eye as a window to the heart

Dr Nicola G. Ghazi, Medical Director and retina specialist at Bascom Palmer Eye Institute Abu Dhabi, who examined the patient, explained why the eye speaks first: "The retina is the only place in the body where we can directly observe blood vessels. When high blood pressure damages those vessels, we see it - sometimes before the patient or their cardiologist knows anything is wrong. In this case, the retina told us the heart was under strain."

Dr George F. Corrent, MD, Ph.D., Head of Cornea and Refractive Service, whose research includes ophthalmic signs of systemic disease, added: "A comprehensive eye examination is not only about vision - it is a health check for the whole body. Conditions of the heart and circulation frequently show themselves first in the eye. Anyone living with high blood pressure, diabetes, or a family history of heart disease should treat regular eye exams as part of their cardiac care."

A shared message for World Heart Day

Three months on, KM’s blood pressure is controlled, his vision has stabilised, and he has become, in his own words, the family’s most persistent advocate for annual checkups.

Dr Zain Kenderian MD, MBA, MStJ - CEO, Bascom Palmer Eye Institute Abu Dhabi, framed the wider lesson: "Heart disease and vision loss are closely linked, and both respond to early action. Working alongside the Department of Health - Abu Dhabi, our commitment is to make preventive eye care a natural part of how families across the UAE look after their health. This World Heart Day, the message is simple: caring for your heart and caring for your eyes are the same journey."

Bascom Palmer Eye Institute Abu Dhabi encourages residents to pair their heart health checkups this September with a comprehensive eye examination.