Mental Health News
Researchers at Peking University explored how untreated vision problems and the risk of dementia are related. The study is published in the journal Aging & Mental Health.
The Study
The researchers surveyed 16 studies involving 76,373 participants from the UK to understand how untreated sight problems in older adults are associated with cognitive decline and dementia risk.
The Findings
The results revealed that untreated vision impairment is associated with vision loss, cognitive problems, and dementia. In fact, people with vision problems had a 41% increased risk of developing cognitive impairment and a 44% increased risk of dementia.
The researchers recommended regular eye examinations for older adults to prevent the potential disorders associated with sight problems. One of the lead researchers, Beibei Xu, elaborated: “Diagnosing and treating eye conditions may be beneficial—both to improve a person’s quality of life and also to potentially slow down or stop memory loss.”
To Know More You May Refer To
Cao, G. Y., Chen, Z. S., Yao, S. S., Wang, K., Huang, Z. T., Su, H. X., Luo, Y., De Fries, C. M., Hu, Y. H., & Xu, B. (2022). The association between vision impairment and cognitive outcomes in older adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Aging & mental health, 1–7. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1080/13607863.2022.2077303