The latest research suggests three eye health issues loom large as early red alerts for dementia, with scientists pinning down an eye-watering 19% of dementia occurrences to vision impairments.
This staggering statistic suggests these cases may be sidestepped if tackled timely and could change preventative measures for dementia.
Nabbing the top spot as the chief visual impairment correlated with dementia progression is contrast sensitivity, or sharpness in discerning outlines and patterns, according to findings published in JAMA Ophthalmology.
It’s noted that a significant 15% of cases among the subjects were linked to this particular condition.
The results also shine a light on the impact of distance and near vision complications while 5% of dementia cases were connected to issues spotting small objects afar, a further 10% dovetailed with troubles seeing things up close, like text.
The high incidence of contrast sensitivity-related dementia highlights an urgent call for experts to advance their approach to diagnosing vision ailments linked to cognitive decline.
The researchers underscored the importance of incorporating eye health into dementia prevention strategies that focus on modifiable risk factors.
They noted: “Overall, while not establishing a cause-and-effect relationship, these findings support considering vision health in dementia prevention strategies aimed at reducing modifiable risk factors.”
The report’s authors have shone a light on the fact that most of these eye conditions, primarily responsible for vision impairments, are “largely correctable” issues like untreated cataracts and refractive errors, such as neglecting to wear glasses when needed.
Their research scrutinised data from a cohort of 2,767 American seniors aged 71 and above, utilising a nationally representative longitudinal study.
The team then calculated the potential number of dementia cases attributable to the trio of visual impairments by assessing the strength of their association with dementia.