What if a routine eye exam could help identify cardiovascular disease, kidney disease, Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, and other systemic conditions before symptoms appear? In this special AOA edition of Eye.Talk.Tech., host Dr. Griffin Christenson sits down with Dr. Rupe Hansra, Vice President of Professional Affairs at Topcon Healthcare, and Dr. Alan Glazier, Founder of Shady Grove Eye Care, ODs on Facebook, Fluorescene Group and ODs on Technology, to discuss how artificial intelligence, retinal imaging, and connected healthcare ecosystems are transforming the future of eye care. The conversation explores how optometry is evolving beyond vision correction and becoming a critical front door to healthcare. From AI-powered cardiovascular risk assessment and oculomics to interoperability, open-source innovation, and the Alliance for Healthcare from the Eye, this episode provides a fascinating look at the technologies and collaborations shaping the next generation of patient care. Learn how AI models such as CLARE are helping assess cardiovascular risk from retinal images, why optometrists are uniquely positioned to detect systemic disease, and how data-driven healthcare could improve outcomes while reducing costs.
