Higher brain care score is linked to younger retinal age

In an observational study of 28,657 UK Biobank participants, researchers examined whether a brain care score tracks retinal health and retinal biological age. The 19-point score combines physical, lifestyle, and social-emotional domains, with higher scores reflecting better brain care. Eye structures were scanned using optical coherence tomography, an imaging method that captures cross-sectional pictures of retinal layers. Retinal aging was evaluated using a machine-learning model that calculated the gap between predicted retinal age and chronological age. In addition, 14,656 participants had metabolomic data. Higher scores were associated with thicker neuroretinal layers, thicker photoreceptor layers, and greater overall macular thickness. Each 5-unit increase in the score was linked to a reduced retinal age gap. Analyses also identified candidate metabolic patterns involving lipids, unsaturated fatty acids, and branched-chain amino acids.