HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE, VISION PROBLEMS LINKED TO DEMENTIA RISK?

ACCORDING TO TWO STUDIES, untreated high blood pressure and vision impairment can increase the risk of dementia.

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A study published in the journal JAMA Ophthalmology has found that nearly one in five dementia cases could be attributed to vision impairment.

Researchers looked at the prevalence of dementia and one of three main types of vision impairment, including near visual acuity, distance visual acuity or contrast sensitivity in 2,767 people aged 71 and older.

About 19 per cent of dementia cases could be attributed to one or more types of vision loss, suggesting that dementia could have been prevented in nearly 20 per cent of cases if vision problems had been addressed. Nearly 90 per cent of vision problems in older people are preventable or correctable, according to researchers.

The second study published in the journal Neurology finds that untreated high blood pressure can increase the risk of Alzheimer's.