Retinal vasculature and systemic disease

The project is a part of the The Tromsø Eye Study, a sub-study of the population-based Tromsø Study. Imaging of both eyes was performed in the 6th (2006-2007) and 7th survey (2015-2016). The retinal photographs were graded for retinopathy. Retinal vessel calibers were measured computer assisted on retinal photographs and retinal thickness was measured on optical coherence tomography. 

Retinal microvascular abnormalities and future risk of stroke

The overall aim of the project is to investigate the association between retinal microvascular abnormalities and cerebral white matter hyperintensities on MRI and future risk of stroke in a general population, based on data from the Tromsø Eye Study and the Gutenberg Health Study. We also aim to develop novel stroke risk prediction models including retinal imaging.

Principal investigator: Caroline Lind

Internal members: Therese von Hanno, Liv-Hege Johnsen, Torgil Vangberg, Maria Carlsson, Ellisiv B Mathiesen

External collaborators: Tunde Peto (Ophthalmic Reading Centre, Queen´s University, Belfast, Northern Ireland), Alexander K. Schuster (Johannes Gutenberg University, Mainz, Germany)

Diabetic retinopathy - see the future in the eye

The aim of this innovation project is to reorganize and establish effective decentralized retinal screening of all patients with diabetes in Northern Norway.  We combine grading of retinal photograpy by artificial intelligence (AI) and the clinically validated RetinaRisk algorithm with a more automated pateint adminsitrative system.  Decentralized retinal imaging aimed at tailoring indidivualized follow-up and treatment will save time and cost while ensuring high qulity follow-up of patients with diabetes. The study group consists of clinical and technological expertice from North Norwegian hospitals, the Northern Norway regional health authority ICT trust (HN-IKT), the electronic health record DIPS® and the industry partners from RetinaRisk.

Principal investigator: Therese von Hanno

External collabortors: Gunn Hege Valøy (Nordland Hospital Trust), Geir Bertelsen (UiT), Maja Erke (Dept. of Ophthalmology, Oslo University Hospital and the Norwegian Directorate of e-health, ), Arpad Totth, Ægir Þór Steinarsson (RetinaRisk), Bjørn Fjukstad (DIPS AS), Are Edvardsen (HN-IKT), Jostein Stemland (Nordland Hospital Trust), Paul Daljord (user respresentative) 

SENSE-Cog

SENSE-Cog is a European wide project focused on understanding the impact of dementia, age-related hearing and vision impairment. By using a multidisciplinary collaborative approach, Sense-Cog aims to address this negative impact and to promote mental well-being by understanding the inter-relationship of sensory impairments and cognitive and mental health function, identifying novel means of screening and detection for diagnostic and therapeutic purposes, and translating this knowledge into clinical applications to improve the mental well-being of EU citizens.

Principal investigator: Iracema Leroi (Trinity College Dublin, Ireland)

Local Principal investigator: Therese von Hanno

Link to SenseCog

European Eye Epidemiology (E3)

The E3 consortium is a collaboration of over 30 eye studies in Europe that aims to advance research on eye conditions with a focus on collaboration and data sharing to promote eye-related research in a variety of areas. E3 works to harmonize methods for eye research and data collection to advance research on eye diseases with regard to pathophysiological mechanisms and risk factors including lifestyle, vascular and metabolic factors, genetics, epigenetics, and biomarkers, as well as to develop and validate prediction models for eye diseases.

Local Principal investigator: Geir Bertelsen 

Link to E3

Publications

1. van der Heide FCT, Khawaja A, Berendschot TTJM, Littlejohns TJ, Kuźma E, Luben R, Patel PJ, Foster PJ; Maastricht Study Consortium; Bertelsen G, von Hanno T, Johnsen B, Schirmer H, Rebouças SCL, Grasset L, Delcourt C, Helmer C; UK Biobank Eye & Vision Consortium; E3 consortium; Stehouwer CDA. Associations of inner retinal layers with risk of incident dementia: An individual participant data analysis of four prospective cohort studies. Alzheimers Dement. 2024;20(1):211-220. doi: 10.1002/alz.13167.
2. von Hanno T, Hareide LL, Småbrekke L, Morseth B, Sneve M, Erke MG, Mathiesen EB, Bertelsen G. Macular layer thickness and effect of BMI, body fat, and traditional cardiovascular risk factors: the Tromsø Study. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 2022;63:16. doi: 10.1167/iovs.63.9.16.
3. Delcourt C, Le Goff M, von Hanno T, Mirshahi A, Khawaja AP, Verhoeven VJM, Hogg RE, Anastosopoulos E, Cachulo ML, Höhn R, Wolfram C, Bron A, Miotto S, Carrière I, Colijn JM, Buitendijk GHS, Evans J, Nitsch D, Founti P, Yip JLY, Pfeiffer N, Creuzot-Garcher C, Silva R, Piermarocchi S, Topouzis F, Bertelsen G, Foster PJ, Fletcher A, Klaver CCW, Korobelnik JF; European Eye Epidemiology Consortium. The decreasing prevalence of nonrefractive visual impairment in older Europeans: a meta-analysis of published and unpublished data. Ophthalmology. 2018 Aug;125(8):1149-1159. doi: 10.1016/j.ophtha.2018.02.005.
4. Øhrn AM, Schirmer H, von Hanno T, Mathiesen EB, Arntzen KA, Bertelsen G, Njølstad I, Løchen ML, Wilsgaard T, Bairey Merz CN, Lindekleiv H. Small and large vessel disease in persons with unrecognized compared to recognized myocardial infarction: The Tromsø Study 2007-2008. Int J Cardiol. 2018;253:14-19. doi: 10.1016/j.ijcard.2017.10.009.
5. von Hanno T, Lade AC, Mathiesen EB, Peto T, Njølstad I, Bertelsen G. Macular thickness in healthy eyes of adults (N=4508) and relation to sex, age and refraction: The Tromsø Eye Study (2007-08). Acta Ophthalmol 2017;95:262-269
6. Williams KM, Verhoeven VJ, Cumberland P, Bertelsen G, Wolfram C, Buitendijk GH, Hofman A, van Duijn CM, Vingerling JR, Kuijpers RW, Höhn R, Mirshahi A, Khawaja AP, Luben RN, Erke MG, von Hanno T, Mahroo O, Hogg R, Gieger C, Cougnard-Grégoire A, Anastasopoulos E, Bron A, Dartigues JF, Korobelnik JF, Creuzot-Garcher C, Topouzis F, Delcourt C, Rahi J, Meitinger T, Fletcher A, Foster PJ, Pfeiffer N, Klaver CC, Hammond CJ. Prevalence of refractive error in Europe: the European Eye Epidemiology (E(3)) Consortium. Eur J Epidemiol. 2015;30:305-15. doi: 10.1007/s10654-015-0010-0.
7. Eriksen BO, Løchen ML, Arntzen KA, Bertelsen G, Winther Eilertsen BA, von Hanno T, Herder M, Jenssen TG, Mathisen UD, Melsom T, Njølstad I, Solbu MD, Toft T, Mathiesen EB. Estimated and measured GFR associate differently with retinal vasculopathy in the general population. Nephron 2015;131:175-84
8. Eriksen BO, Løchen ML, Arntzen KA, Bertelsen G, Winther Eilertsen BA, von Hanno T, Herder M, Jenssen TG, Mathisen UD, Melsom T, Njølstad I, Solbu MD, Toft I, Mathiesen EB. Subclinical cardiovascular disease is associated with high glomerular filtration rate in the non-diabetic general population. Kidney Int 2014;86:146-53
9. von Hanno T, Bertelsen G, Broderstad AR, Mathiesen EB.Serum-ferritin and hemoglobin are independently associated with wider retinal venular caliber. The Tromsø Study 2001-2008. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci 2013;54:7053-7060
10. von Hanno T, Sjølie AK, Mathiesen EB. Retinal vascular calibre and response to light exposure and serial imaging. Acta Ophthalmol 2014;92:444-448
11. von Hanno T, Bertelsen G, Sjølie AK, Mathiesen EB. Retinal vascular calibres are significantly associated with cardiovascular risk factors: the Tromsø Eye Study. Acta Ophthalmol 2014;92:40-6
12. Bertelsen G, Erke MG, von Hanno T, Mathiesen EB, Peto T, Sjølie AK, Njølstad I. The Tromsø Eye Study: Study design, methodology and results on visual acuity and refractive errors. Acta Ophthalmol 2013;91:635-42

 Northern Norway Health Region innovation (HNI0039-23) and research funds (HNF1655-23)