Untreated vision impairment: a modifiable risk factor for dementia
Vision impairment has been officially recognized as a modifiable risk factor for dementia, according to a landmark report published in The Lancet.
“Our Commission has not previously considered vision loss as a risk factor for dementia, but considerable new evidence has emerged. This evidence includes a meta-analysis of 14 prospective cohort studies, with follow-up of 3.7–14.5 years, including 6 204 827 older adults who were cognitively intact at baseline, of whom 171 888 developed dementia. Vision loss was associated with a pooled relative risk for dementia of 1.47.” states the Commission report, highlighting a previously overlooked connection between vision health and brain function.
Addressing vision problems in late life could potentially reduce dementia cases by approximately 2% worldwide. This represents thousands of preventable cases given the scale of global dementia.
Increasing evidence supports an association between untreated vision loss and dementia risk and potential modification by treatment. This underscores the importance of eye health and adds a crucial new dimension to dementia prevention strategies worldwide.
Key data on vision impairment and dementia:
- An estimated 12.6% of adults aged 50+ suffer from avoidable vision loss and blindness.
- Vision impairment is significantly more prevalent in low and middle-income countries.
- Approximately 90% of vision loss cases can be treated with existing, cost-effective interventions.
- Specific eye conditions carry different levels of risk, eg. cataracts are associated with 17% increased dementia risk, and diabetic retinopathy is related to 34% increased risk.
The findings suggest that regular eye examinations and proper correction of vision problems should be integrated into dementia prevention strategies globally.
“Treatment for visual loss is effective and cost-effective for an estimated 90% of people; however, across the world, particularly in LMICs, visual loss is often not treated. A clear opportunity for dementia prevention exists with treatment of visual loss.”
The fact that an estimated 90% of vision loss is treatable with existing, cost-effective interventions makes integration of routine eye care into wider dementia prevention a particularly accessible strategy, especially in resource-limited settings and LMICs where untreated vision problems are more prevalent.
Reference: Livingston G, Huntley J, Liu KY, et al. Dementia prevention, intervention, and care: 2024 report of the Lancet standing Commission. Lancet. 2024;404(10452):572-628. doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(24)01296-0
