Vision problems could mean higher dementia risk, study finds: ‘Eye health and brain health are closely linked’
Older adults with imaginative and prescient problems could also be extra more likely to develop dementia, a brand new study revealed in JAMA Ophthalmology has discovered.
Researchers on the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor analyzed information from the 2021 National Health and Aging Trends Study, which confirmed a hyperlink between all forms of imaginative and prescient problems — distance acuity, close to acuity and distinction sensitivity — and a higher prevalence of dementia, together with Alzheimer’s illness.
Distance acuity (visible acuity) is a measure of the readability or sharpness of imaginative and prescient from 20 ft away, based on the American Optometric Association.
This is often examined by having the individual learn letters on a Snellen chart.
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Near acuity is a measurement of how nicely somebody can see one thing up shut.
Contrast sensitivity measures the individual’s means to tell apart between an object and the background it’s set towards, or to distinguish between two comparable colours.
Older adults with imaginative and prescient problems could also be extra more likely to develop dementia, based on a brand new study revealed in JAMA Ophthalmology. (iStock)
The extra forms of imaginative and prescient problems an individual has, the higher the possibilities of dementia, the study findings acknowledged.
The study included nationwide information from 2,967 members aged 71 and older.
“We hypothesized that visual impairment would be associated with dementia because prior studies found an association,” mentioned lead study writer Olivia Killeen, M.D., scientific lecturer for ophthalmology and visible sciences on the University of Michigan, in an announcement to Fox News Digital.
“Loss of visual stimulation will lead to withdrawal and less mental engagement.”
“Eye health and brain health are closely linked in older adults,” she added.
“This study is unique because it used up-to-date, objectively measured visual acuity (meaning participants all had their vision tested),” she went on.
“This allowed us to analyze the associations between visual acuity and dementia.”
Vision problems largely preventable, say specialists
Although eye health and brain health are closely linked in older folks, the excellent news is that almost all imaginative and prescient problems are treatable, Killeen mentioned.
“For example, cataracts are one of the main causes of visual impairment in older people, and vision loss from cataracts can be reversed with cataract surgery,” Killeen defined.
“Because visual impairment is associated with dementia, treating vision problems may be one key to reducing the risk of dementia.”
A Cedars-Sinai study present in March that early indicators of Alzheimer’s illness may be detected in eye exams. (iStock)
The study did have some limitations, she identified.
The researchers didn’t have info on the causes of visible impairment, which suggests they couldn’t study the affiliation between particular eye situations — akin to cataracts, glaucoma and macular degeneration — and dementia.
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“Randomized controlled trials are needed to measure the impact of treating vision problems on dementia,” Killeen mentioned.
The outcomes are according to earlier analysis displaying a hyperlink between sensory impairment and higher danger for dementia, agreed Dr. Gary Small, chair of psychiatry and behavioral health physician-in-chief at Hackensack University Medical Center in New Jersey.
“Getting routine eye care is important for early diagnosis and treatment of vision problems,” mentioned the lead writer of a brand new study. (iStock)
Small was not concerned within the University of Michigan study.
“Mental stimulation keeps neural circuits active and strong, which protects the brain from age-related declines,” he advised Fox News Digital.
“Loss of visual stimulation will lead to withdrawal and less mental engagement.”
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Given this latest study’s giant pattern dimension and “objective measures of visual impairment,” Small mentioned the outcomes are significantly compelling.
“It’s important for anyone, especially older adults, to regularly check their visual acuity and correct deficits to optimize quality of life and protect against dementia,” he mentioned.
The extra forms of imaginative and prescient problems an individual has, the higher the possibilities of dementia, the study findings acknowledged. (iStock)
Added Small, “The bottom line is that the old adage, ‘Use it or lose it,’ applies not just to physical health but to cognitive health as well.”
Protection and prevention are key to bettering outcomes, each visible and cognitive, Killeen agreed.
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“Getting routine eye care is important for early diagnosis and treatment of vision problems,” she mentioned.
“The American Academy of Ophthalmology recommends that people 65 and older get routine eye exams every one to two years.”
“It’s important for anyone, especially older adults, to regularly check their visual acuity and correct deficits to optimize quality of life and protect against dementia.”
As Fox News Digital beforehand reported, a Cedars-Sinai study present in March that early indicators of Alzheimer’s illness may be detected in eye exams.
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Patients who had delicate cognitive impairment or Alzheimer’s illness had been discovered to have higher quantities of amyloid beta 42, a protein that varieties the “plaques” that construct up within the brains of individuals with Alzheimer’s — in addition to cells referred to as microglia, which are additionally related to development of the illness — of their retinas.
