New research links people with certain eye conditions to increased risk of dementia, the UK’s Daily Telegraph reports.
A study of more than 12,000 middle-aged people in the UK found those with age-related macular degeneration — which affects around 11 million Americans — were 25% more likely to develop dementia.
For people with cataracts, a condition that plagues around one in six people aged over 40 in the USA, the increased risk of dementia is 11 per cent compared to people with no optical health issues.
People with diabetes-related eye disease had a 61% higher risk of dementia. Glaucoma, however, was not linked to a significant increase in risk.
One-third of seniors in the United States die with dementia, according to the Alzheimer’s Association, and it kills more people than breast cancer and prostate cancer combined.
The study documented more than 2,300 cases of dementia among the participants, according to the experts led by academics from the Guangdong Eye Institute in China. People with previous conditions, including diabetes, heart disease, stroke and depression, were also more likely to be diagnosed with dementia. The risk was highest among people with one of these conditions who also had some form of eye condition, they observed.
The study concluded: “Age-related macular degeneration, cataract and diabetes-related eye disease but not glaucoma are associated with an increased risk of dementia.”
The good news is that cataracts are easily treated with a quick and safe surgical procedure. If you or a loved one is suffering from cataracts, you may qualify for help from LSH.
