Collecting high quality retinal images in the China Kadoorie Biobank

Cardiovascular diseases (CVD) are the leading cause of premature death globally and the patterns of CVD in China differ from those in Western populations, with high rates of stroke, particularly intracerebral haemorrhage.

The body’s different vascular beds share many common characteristics. Detailed characterisation of the retinal vasculature, using novel approaches for analysis of retinal images captured non-invasively in large cohort studies, can provide invaluable insights into vascular and other closely related diseases such as neurodegenerative conditions (e.g. dementia).

This BHF CRE infrastructure award allow us to purchase hand-held fundus cameras for collection of high-quality retinal images in ~25,000 participants as an enhancement in the China Kadoorie Biobank (CKB) 3rd resurvey. This project will generate the largest high-quality, population-based retinal image database in a non-European population. Together with data on a wide range of lifestyle factors, physiological and clinical measurements (e.g. adiposity, blood pressure, 12-lead ECG, carotid artery intima media thickness and plaque), multi-omics biomarkers, and vascular and non-vascular disease outcomes in CKB, this will enable reliable assessment of correlates, determinants and prognosis of retinal vascular changes. Associations with major macro- and micro-vascular diseases will be explored, ultimately enabling improved risk prediction, early detection, and targeted prevention and treatment of vascular diseases.

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