Eye scans may reveal hidden clues about heart failure
NCT ID NCT05086978
First seen Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Jul 23, 2026 · Updated 2 times
Summary
This pilot study at the Cleveland Clinic is testing whether a simple, non-invasive retinal camera can detect signs of heart failure severity. Researchers will compare eye images from 250 people with and without heart failure to see if blood vessel changes in the retina match disease progression and exercise capacity. If it works, this could lead to a new way to monitor heart failure without needles or expensive scans.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- What this could lead to
- If successful, this could lead to a simple, non-invasive eye test to help monitor heart failure severity and treatment response.
- What could go wrong
- This is an early pilot study with only 250 participants, so results may not apply broadly. It is observational and does not test a treatment.
This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.
Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Participants
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About 250 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Started
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Feb 2022
- Expected to finish
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Jan 2028
An estimate. End dates often move.
- Lead sponsor
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Other sponsor
The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.
Who can take part
This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.
Who is studied
Heart Failure subjects (any etiology)
- Ages
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18 years and older
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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Accepted
You do not need to have the condition being studied to take part.
Show the full entry requirements Hide the full entry requirements
Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion Criteria: * 18 years or above; have been diagnosed with HF of any etiology or healthy control; able to provide informed consent and comply with study protocol; able to undergo retinal evaluation using a handheld, automated, non-mydriatric retinal camera; and able to provide written informed consent. Exclusion Criteria: * pregnancy or planned pregnancy; photosensitive epilepsy; significant ophthalmologic conditions such as cataract, glaucoma, blindness, or progressive diabetic retinopathy; having undergone retinal laser photocoagulation; any condition which, in the judgment of the investigator, would place a patient at undue risk by being enrolled in the trial, or cause inability to comply with the study.
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Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
How to take part
Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.
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The places running it
1 site. The list below names each one and where it is.
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The official record
The full official record for this study. This one lists no contact details, but it is the first place any would appear.
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A doctor treating you
A doctor who knows your case can contact a study site on your behalf, and can tell you whether this study is worth pursuing at all.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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Cleveland Clinic
Cleveland, Ohio, 44195, United States
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