New Retina Risk App Helps Patients Assess Risk for Diabetic Eye Disease

A new free app, Retina Risk App, is helping patients assess for risk for diabetic eye disease. More than 430 million people currently have diabetes and is expected to exceed 600 million by 2045. Approximately two-thirds of those affected develop diabetic retinopathy. If left untreated or undiagnosed, they are at high risk for blindness or visual impairment.

Retina Risk App is a clinically validated risk calculator that allows patients with diabetes to monitor their real-time risk for diabetic retinopathy. The app included guidelines as well as information on diabetes, diabetic retinopathy, and patient education to improve self-care. Users are also able to set goals and track progress, and share results. Specifically, the app supports self-management through regular eye examinations and seeking medical assistance.

The app uses a proprietary algorithm that was clinically validated in 20,000 Northern European patients with diabetes; findings have been published in several medical journals. The algorithm calculates patients’ annualized risk of developing diabetic retinopathy based on established risk factors, which accounts for 80% of established risk factors based on research data.

Further validation is needed in other patient populations. However, researchers expect the power of personal prediction to reach 90% after more detailed analysis.