It has been reported that vision correction may lower the risk of Alzheimer’s disease.
A new study shows a link between vision loss and dementia. So if you’re putting off cataract surgery, you’ve got a reason to reconsider. In other words, correcting your vision may help prevent dementia and Alzheimer’s disease, the most common forms of dementia.
In recent years, researchers have uncovered a strong correlation between vision impairment and dementia. Research has not proven that vision problems cause dementia or vice versa, but it does show that treating vision problems is associated with a lower risk of developing memory and thinking problems over time.
So far, Alzheimer’s treatments have made little progress in combating the disease, so federal health officials, including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), are asking what can help prevent cognitive decline? The focus has been on addressing modifiable risk factors. However, recent research has suggested that some experts have argued that vision loss deserves more attention as a modifiable risk factor for dementia. According to the CDC, more than 1 in 10 Americans over the age of 65 have a vision impairment. Experts say that 70 to 80 percent of these cases can be easily corrected with the right glasses or cataract surgery.
It’s only happened in recent years that researchers have discovered that vision loss may have a similar association.
A large 2021 study found that seniors with impaired vision were eventually at an increased risk of developing cognitive problems. People with vision problems are 66% more likely to have cognitive impairment and 109% more likely to develop dementia than people without vision problems. Meanwhile, a study published in the JAMA (Journal of Medicine) in December 2021 followed two groups of people aged 65 and older who did not have dementia and had cataracts. Those who had cataract removal surgery were 30 percent less likely to be diagnosed with dementia later than those who did not.
Researchers don’t know exactly how or why vision and cognitive health are related, but believe it’s likely the same mechanism linking hearing loss with dementia. One possibility is that disease processes that impair vision also impair cognition. The eye is an extension of the brain, and when degeneration occurs, it is argued that not only the eyes but also the brain can be affected. Another theory relates to cognitive load. Because vision loss makes everyday tasks like paying bills or reading recipes more difficult, the brain must work harder and potentially steal capacity from other thinking and memory tasks. will be. It is also speculated that parts of the brain will contract or atrophy due to a lack of sensory input, whether visual or auditory.
Finally, while vision loss does not cause direct brain changes, it makes socializing difficult, being physically active, and engaging in cognitively meaningful activities such as going to the theater, attending a sporting event, or reading a book. They are selling because they make it difficult.
But whatever the reason for the link between cognition and vision, experts stress that having a vision problem doesn’t necessarily mean you’re doomed to develop dementia. It is not certain that the risk has increased.
A recent 2018 study found that 1.8% of dementia cases could be prevented with better eye care. That means more than 100,000 Americans could potentially save brain health with simple treatments like eyeglasses or cataract surgery.
Even for diseases that cannot be easily cured, such as glaucoma or macular degeneration, treatment can slow the progression of the disease.
By Jang Byung-hee, staff reporter