New Non-Invasive Skin Imaging Technology Can Flag Early Heart Disease Risk

New Delhi - German researchers have developed a breakthrough non-invasive imaging technology that can scan the skin to detect early warning signs of cardiovascular disease.

Known as fast-RSOM, the advanced skin scan is capable of identifying minute changes in blood vessels, oxygen levels, and tissue composition that are not visible through conventional imaging methods. The technology produces highly detailed images of the smallest blood vessels beneath the skin and can detect subtle impairments in their ability to expand and contract — a condition referred to as microvascular endothelial dysfunction (MiVED).

Until now, clinicians lacked a precise and non-invasive method to directly observe and measure these early vascular changes in humans.

According to researchers from the Helmholtz Association of German Research Centres, the ability to detect early indicators of heart disease could allow doctors to intervene earlier, tailor treatments more effectively, and improve long-term cardiovascular outcomes.

“With fast-RSOM, we can, for the first time, non-invasively assess endothelial dysfunction at single-capillary and skin-layer resolution in humans,” said Dr. Hailong He of the Institute of Biological and Medical Imaging at Helmholtz Munich.

Dr. Angelos Karlas, co-first author of the study, vascular surgeon, and senior research scientist at the Technical University of Munich (TUM) University Hospital, said the technique offers an unprecedented insight into how cardiovascular disease develops at the microvascular level.

The findings have been published in the journal *Light: Science & Applications*.

Fast-RSOM generates high-resolution, dynamic biomarkers of MiVED, capturing subtle declines in blood vessel function that typically appear well before clinical symptoms or detectable large-scale disease features emerge. These early microvascular changes are often associated with risk factors such as smoking, hypertension, and obesity.

Unlike traditional risk assessments that rely on descriptive clinical conditions, fast-RSOM quantitatively measures the actual impact of these risk factors on the microvascular system, often years before serious complications develop.

By identifying these early warning signs, the technology opens new avenues for early detection, prevention, and precise monitoring of cardiovascular health. Researchers say it could help more accurately identify individuals at higher risk of heart disease and track the effectiveness of lifestyle changes or medical treatments.

RSOM, or Raster Scan Optoacoustic Mesoscopy, is a non-invasive imaging technique that uses brief pulses of light to generate ultrasound signals, creating highly detailed three-dimensional images of structures beneath the skin.

—With inputs from IANS