This vision impairment is strongly linked to dementia

Vision problems might be one of the earliest signs of dementia, and a lack of stimulation in visual pathways may speed up its development.

New research from the Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences has found that certain eye conditions, like age-related macular degeneration, cataracts, and diabetes-related eye disease, are associated with a higher risk of dementia.

Earlier studies had suggested a possible link between vision impairment and cognitive decline, focusing on eye diseases such as macular degeneration, cataracts, diabetes-related eye disease, and glaucoma.

These conditions become more common with age, as do systemic health issues like diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, depression, and stroke—all of which are known risk factors for dementia.

In this study, researchers analyzed data from 12,364 adults aged 55 to 73 who were part of the UK Biobank study. They discovered that macular degeneration, cataracts, and diabetes-related eye disease were linked to a higher risk of dementia.

However, glaucoma did not show the same connection to general dementia, although it was associated with vascular dementia, a specific type of the disease.

The findings showed that compared to people without these eye conditions, the risk of dementia was:

26% higher for those with age-related macular degeneration,
11% higher for those with cataracts, and
61% higher for those with diabetes-related eye disease.

Interestingly, glaucoma was not associated with a greater risk of Alzheimer’s disease, the most common form of dementia.

Participants in the study were also asked about systemic health conditions like heart attacks, strokes, high blood pressure, and diabetes.

Those with both an eye condition and a systemic condition had an even greater risk of developing dementia. The more eye conditions a person had, the higher their relative risk for dementia.

The researchers highlighted that age-related macular degeneration, cataracts, and diabetes-related eye disease are significant risk factors for dementia, while glaucoma shows a more specific link to vascular dementia.

This underscores the importance of managing eye health, especially as people age, as it may help lower the risk of dementia.

Good eye care is essential for overall health, especially for older adults. Studies suggest that diabetic eye disease and poor dietary habits, like following a Western diet, may increase the risk of vision loss.

Similarly, brain health is closely tied to overall health, with factors like vitamin B9 deficiency linked to a higher dementia risk and lifestyle habits, such as alcohol, coffee, and tea intake, influencing cognitive decline.

This research, led by Mingguang He and colleagues, was published in the British Journal of Ophthalmology. It highlights the growing evidence of the interconnectedness of vision and brain health, encouraging people to prioritize eye and overall health as they age.

If you care about brain health, please read studies about Vitamin B9 deficiency linked to higher dementia risk, and cranberries could help boost memory.

For more health information, please see recent studies about heartburn drugs that could increase risk of dementia, and results showing this MIND diet may protect your cognitive function, prevent dementia.