Diagnoptics
Bringing Hidden Cardiovascular Risk into Clinical Focus

What limitations exist in traditional biomarkers for assessing long-term cardiovascular risk?

Cardiovascular risk does not develop overnight, yet much of clinical decision-making relies on biomarkers that reflect only a patient’s current state. Blood-based indicators such as glucose and cholesterol offer valuable insights, but they capture momentary variation rather than the cumulative effects of long-term metabolic stress shaped by years of lifestyle, glycemic exposure and oxidative damage. Patients who appear low-risk in routine assessments may still carry underlying cardiovascular risk that is not visible through traditional measures.

Diagnoptics enables clinicians to assess cumulative cardiovascular risk by non-invasively measuring advanced glycation end-products (AGE) in tissue using skin autofluorescence technology. Its proprietary AGE Reader captures cumulative metabolic damage that builds over time, providing clinicians with immediate insight that complements traditional blood-based risk markers.

AGEs form gradually in the body and accumulate in tissues over time, serving as indicators of long-term metabolic and vascular damage. By focusing on this accumulation rather than short-term variation, the approach introduces a complementary dimension to conventional risk assessment, helping clinicians identify risk that may otherwise remain undetected.

“When cumulative metabolic damage is made visible, clinicians can identify hidden cardiovascular risk earlier and take timely, more informed preventive action,” says John Mulder, CEO

How does skin autofluorescence technology measure accumulated metabolic damage in tissues effectively?

The AGE Reader uses a small area of the patient’s skin—typically the forearm—illuminated with specific wavelengths of light. Certain AGEs emit fluorescence when excited, and this signal is captured and quantified to provide an immediate indication of AGE accumulation in tissue. The process is entirely non-invasive, requires no needles or laboratory processing and delivers results within seconds, making it suitable for routine clinical use as well as large-scale screening programs.

In everyday practice, the AGE Reader functions as a complementary risk assessment tool. Quantifying tissue AGEs provides insight into a patient’s metabolic memory, reflecting the cumulative impact of lifestyle and physiological stressors over time. This allows clinicians to detect elevated cardiovascular risk earlier, even before conventional markers become abnormal and supports proactive care decisions. Preventive interventions can be initiated sooner, treatment and lifestyle recommendations can be tailored precisely, and patient engagement can be strengthened through ability to visualize otherwise hidden risk.

The simplicity of the test further enhances its clinical value. The measurement requires no preparation or fasting, takes less than a minute and is painless. Results are available immediately and presented alongside age-adjusted reference values, enabling clinicians to interpret risk in real time and discuss outcomes with patients during the same consultation.

Advancing Preventive Care through Integrated Risk Insights

Why is integrating cumulative risk data important in preventive healthcare strategies today?

Beyond individual consultations, Diagnoptics supports integration of AGE measurement into preventive care across primary care, health check-ups, population screening, and cardiovascular or diabetes management. It also extends to complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) through the AGE Scanner, a compact version of the same technology supporting metabolic health and health span.

Through digital integration, AGE data can be combined with parameters such as blood pressure, lipid profiles, and HbA1c to improve risk stratification and longitudinal monitoring.

Clinical experience further demonstrates its practical impact. In several cases, patients with seemingly acceptable traditional risk factors are initially perceived as low risk based on conventional markers. In one instance, a middle-aged patient with normal cholesterol and only mildly elevated glucose was considered low risk, but an elevated AGE score indicated otherwise. This prompted further cardiovascular evaluation, intensified lifestyle interventions, and earlier preventive treatment. The patient subsequently adopted meaningful lifestyle changes and received closer follow-up, potentially reducing the long-term cardiovascular risk trajectory.

In what way does extending this technology beyond clinics enhance broader healthcare applications?

Its relevance also extends beyond cardiovascular health to areas such as diabetes complications, renal disease, and healthy aging, reinforcing its role in broader preventive care. It can also support faster assessment of perioperative risk, further highlighting its versatility in clinical practice.

The capability further extends beyond clinical settings through collaboration with Samsung, which has licensed the technology for integration into its Galaxy smartwatch from version 7 onwards.

Through the translation of complex biochemical processes into a simple, real-time measurement, Diagnoptics equips healthcare providers with a practical tool to detect risk earlier, act sooner, and support improved long-term patient outcomes.