Seniors with poor vision, especially those with untreated vision problems, may be at higher risk of developing dementia than seniors with better vision. A study that began in 1992 has found that seniors who had poor vision were more likely to develop dementia over the next 8.5 years. These findings highlight seniors’ critical need for quality care, including the resident-focused care they receive in professionally managed senior living communities.
The study included 625 individuals over the age of 70, and during the study period (1992 through 2010) 168 developed Alzheimer’s disease or other forms of dementia. Among the seniors who developed dementia, less than 10 percent had rated their vision as “excellent” at the start of the study. In contrast, about 25 percent of participants who developed dementia had rated their vision as “fair” or “poor” at the outset.
In a Reuters Health interview, the study’s lead researcher, Dr. Mary A.M. Rogers, said it has been long known that there is an association between dementia and vision disorders. However, those vision problems often are detected and treated after a dementia diagnosis. Additionally, in an interview with MedPage Today, Rogers noted, “There was an association between poor vision and the later development of dementia. Beyond that, failure to treat the poor vision was even more consequential. The bottom line is that older individuals with an eye problem should seek medical attention for that eye problem.”
A follow-up report published on MSNBC.com notes: “The findings … do not prove that vision problems contribute to dementia – or that eye care can help slow cognitive decline, but they do suggest that could be the case.”
Also among the study findings, according to MedPage Today:
- Uncorrected poor vision was associated with a five- to 10-fold greater risk of Alzheimer’s disease and a five-fold greater risk of cognitive decline without dementia, compared with older people who had very good or excellent vision.
- Three-fourths of 90-year-olds with normal cognition had a history of at least one eye procedure compared with half of those with Alzheimer’s disease.
- The combination of poorer vision and no documented visits with an ophthalmologist was associated with a 9.5 times greater risk of Alzheimer’s disease and a five-fold increase in the risk of cognitive impairment without dementia.
Read the MSNBC article, “Vision Problems Linked to Higher Dementia Risk.”
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