In a new study, researchers combined OCT retinal imaging, genetics and big data to estimate how likely a person is to develop eye and systemic diseases in the future. They found significant associations between the thinning of different retinal layers and increased risk of developing eye, neuropsychiatric, cardiac, metabolic, and pulmonary diseases and identified genes that are associated with retinal layer thickness. Their hope is one day patients can be provided more personalized risk assessments and referred to specialists for preventive and treatment plans for eye and other diseases.