Oculomics and AI: The eye as a biomarker for health span

Authors: 
Le Yi Wong J, Cheng H, Peh WJ, Ho D, Wong TY, Hui CYY, Ting DSJ, Bee YM, Goh SY, Apte RS, Mahajan VB, Goldberg JL, Bischof E, Sinclair DA, Cheung CC, Chan HH, Fukutsu K, Tan TF, Quek CWN, Hong ASY, Jin LY, Wagner SK, Keane P, Ferrara D, Eydelman M, Lam DSC, Wang X, Ting DSW
Publication date: 
2026-01

As the world's population ages, the focus of healthcare is shifting from extending life span to promoting health span. There is an unmet need to identify sensitive and reliable markers of health span through more cost-effective and non-invasive methods, to enable early and effective intervention on modifiable aging factors. The eye offers a unique window into systemic health, providing direct visualization of the body's vascular and neural health. This review presents an overview of how various ocular structures can serve as biomarkers of health span-drawing on insights from ocular imaging, metabolomics, and proteomics, with evidence from basic science, animal models, and human clinical trials. The role of artificial intelligence (AI) in predicting biological age and the risk of age-related systemic conditions is also highlighted, with a focus on current applications and how AI is being integrated to synthesize and interpret multimodal data.

Citation: 

Le Yi Wong J, Cheng H, Peh WJ, Ho D, Wong TY, Hui CYY, Ting DSJ, Bee YM, Goh SY, Apte RS, Mahajan VB, Goldberg JL, Bischof E, Sinclair DA, Cheung CC, Chan HH, Fukutsu K, Tan TF, Quek CWN, Hong ASY, Jin LY, Wagner SK, Keane P, Ferrara D, Eydelman M, Lam DSC, Wang X, Ting DSW. Oculomics and AI: The eye as a biomarker for health span. Asia Pac J Ophthalmol (Phila). 2026 Jan-Feb;15(1):100282. doi: 10.1016/j.apjo.2026.100282. Epub 2026 Jan 19. PMID: 41565074.

PubMed ID: 
41565074
Year of Publication: 
2026
Asia Pac J Ophthalmol