Practice helps test for signs of heart disease

A medical trial has been set up in Warrington for new screening software for heart disease that could be done in an optical practice.

Fearnhead Cross Medical Centre has partnered with the town's Specsavers practice to assess patients using iGrading CVD software.

The software checks patient risk of heart disease or stroke based on computer analysis of a photograph of the retina.

Manufacturer Medalytix said iGrading did not require specialist staff and could be carried out as part of a routine eye examination, saying the method could cut the cost of the government screening programme for over-40s by up to 35 per cent. Specsavers has agreed to recruit patients for Fearnhead Cross to run the trial.