The Retina as an Early Warning System – My Presentation at the Prevention & Longevity Innovation Forum

What exactly is an ophthalmologist doing at an innovation forum on prevention and longevity?

I was asked this question several times after my presentation on Sylt. For me, the answer is actually quite simple. Aging healthily doesn’t just mean gaining as many years of life as possible, but also spending those years with a high quality of life. And for me, a key part of that is being able to see well for as long as possible.

That’s exactly what I had the opportunity to discuss at the 10xD Innovation Forum on July 17, 2026. My passion is the early prevention of eye diseases. Many conditions that can lead to vision loss in old age develop gradually and go unnoticed for a long time. The earlier we detect them, the better our chances of preserving vision.

What particularly struck me during the event was the discussion about what longevity actually means. In the public perception, longevity is often reduced to expensive dietary supplements, infusions, or exclusive therapies. In the process, it’s easy to lose sight of what healthy aging is really built on.

Regular exercise, a balanced diet, sufficient sleep, social connections, and avoiding nicotine are among the most effective measures we know of today. This applies not only to the heart and brain, but also to our eyes. The retina, in particular, benefits from a healthy lifestyle.

For me, longevity is therefore not a luxury reserved for the few. At its core, longevity means keeping people healthy for as long as possible. And much of what is crucial to achieving this is already available to all of us today. Innovative therapies and artificial intelligence can be valuable additions to this effort. They help us detect diseases earlier and further strengthen prevention. However, they cannot replace the fundamentals of a healthy lifestyle.

I am convinced that prevention will play an even more important role in medicine in the coming years. Ophthalmology can make a decisive contribution to this. Preserving vision means far more than just seeing well. It lays the foundation for independence, mobility, and quality of life well into old age. That is why, for me, eye health is naturally part of any discussion about prevention and longevity.