Addressing Vision Problems Could Lower Risk of Dementia, Study Finds

New research suggests that addressing any issues with your vision may reduce your risk of future brain issues. The research was led by Jason Smith, an epidemiologist at the Bloomberg School of Public Health at Johns Hopkins.

For their research, the investigators analyzed data from more than 2,700 patients in the United States. They discovered that roughly 19% of cases of dementia could be linked to a vision issue. This included loss in near visual acuity and loss of sensitivity in detecting contrast. They also found that the link between dementia and vision was almost nine times higher when contrast sensitivity was included as a variable.

In addition, they found that improvements to common vision issues could possibly prevent at least one in five cases of dementia in older individuals.

In their report, the researchers hypothesized that visual impairment affected the risk of dementia via similar mechanisms, such as hearing loss. Here, they were referring to proteins linked to neurodegeneration affecting nerves that play a role in auditory sensing. Alternatively, they theorized that decreased sensory perceptions prompted the brain to try compensating for the loss, which resulted in other areas receiving fewer resources.

They also highlighted that addressing risk factors was a priority for strategies to prevent dementia, especially since the disease’s prevalence is increasing in the United States as well as globally.

The researchers didn’t include the impact of using contact lenses or glasses. They also didn’t include some minority groups, which means the results cannot be generalized across all populations. It should be noted that the research doesn’t prove that visual issues cause dementia, only that the conditions are linked. This may mean that factors that hadn’t been previously considered may be involved in both conditions.

Prior studies do, however, suggest the presence of a link between the two.

One post-mortem investigation involving donors who had been diagnosed with cognitive issues found that changes in their retinas corresponded to changes in brain regions responsible for perception of time and memory. Additionally, certain eye conditions seem to be correlated with some types of dementia. For example, glaucoma tends to happen alongside vascular degeneration while age-related macular degeneration appears to be tied to Alzheimer’s disease.

In a 2018 study, Dr. Heather Whitson and colleagues at Duke University found that sensory loss could lead to decreased physical activity, depression and social isolation, which could cause impairment in an individual’s cognitive function. This means that there’s a possibility that addressing issues with one’s vision could alleviate factors that lead to dementia.

About 80% of visual impairments can be prevented or treated, with visual rehabilitation helping where vision loss isn’t reversible.

The researchers reported their findings in “JAMA Ophthalmology.”

Various research teams at companies such as Annovis Bio Inc. (NYSE: ANVS) are focused on understanding why and how neurodegenerative conditions, including Alzheimer’s disease, develop. As more information on their development becomes available, it will be easier to bring to market treatments that actually move the dial on the progression of these conditions.

NOTE TO INVESTORS: The latest news and updates relating to Annovis Bio Inc. (NYSE: ANVS) are available in the company’s newsroom at https://ibn.fm/ANVS

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