Poor vision: It could mean you have higher risk of having dementia, as per study

Serious medical conditions could sometimes have unexpected or lesser known symptoms. There have been cases where ordinary flu symptoms turn out to be scary conditions, or even cancer symptoms can sometimes go unnoticed. In some cases, doctors might even misdiagnose symptoms for serious medical condition.

The situation is even more complicated when it comes to conditions such as dementia, where scientific research is still uncovering new findings.

As reported by South China Morning Post, a new study has reaffirmed that there is a link between dementia and poor vision among older adults.

How is poor eyesight related to dementia?

As per the study published in JAMA Ophthalmology, 3817 respondents in the United States, who were 71 years and older, participated in the research. They were given vision tests and cognitive tests during home visits.

The findings revealed that risk of dementia was much higher among those with eyesight problems.

It is to be noted that there have been other studies which have suggested a link between vision and dementia. The current study adds to that body of literature.

After adjusting for differences in health status and personal characteristics etc, the researchers found that people with moderate to severe distance vision issues were 72% more likely than those with no vision issues to have dementia.

Get your eyes tested regularly

As SCMP reports, eye issues such as cataracts, glaucoma, optic nerve problems and macular degeneration all seem to correlate with increased dementia risk.

This is definitely a good reason why you should prioritise the health of your eyesight and go for regular eye check-ups.

The researchers of the study, led by ophthalmologists Olivia Killeen, M.D., M.S. and Joshua Ehrlich, M.D., M.P.H., write,

Prioritizing vision health may be key to optimizing both sight and overall health and well-being. Randomized trials are warranted to determine whether optimizing vision is a viable strategy to slow cognitive decline and reduce dementia risk.

Read more:

⋙ Dementia: Loss of appetite is a lesser-known symptom of this serious condition

⋙ Dementia: The most common early sign of the worrying condition revealed

⋙ Meningitis: This girl died after doctor misdiagnosed her symptoms for gastroenteritis

Sources used:

JAMA Ophthalmology: ' Objectively Measured Visual Impairment and Dementia Prevalence in Older Adults in the US'

South China Morning Post: ' Is your distance vision bad? Your risk of getting dementia could be higher, study suggests'