3 common eye problems can show dementia early: new study

You may want to keep an eye on the blood vessels in the back of your peepers – they can find out if you are likely to develop dementia.

Dementia – the progressive decline in cognitive abilities, the impact of memory, language and reasoning – affects more than 6 million Americans and accounts for over 100,000 deaths each year.

New Zealand researchers identified some eye problems that can serve as early warning signs of dementia, perhaps even before more traditional symptoms appear.

“In our study, we looked at the retina, which is directly related to the brain,” said co-leader Ashleigh Barrett of the University of Otago for the thin layer of tissue in the back of the eye.

“It is thought that many of the disease processes in Alzheimer’s are reflected in the retina,” She continued, “making it a good target as a biomarkers to identify people at risk of dementia.”

The Barrett-Young team was introduced into the eye scan data from a long New Zealand study.

They found a link between the greatest risk of dementia and narrower arterioles (small blood vessels that transport blood away from the heart), wider venules (small veins playing a major role in returning blood to the heart) and thin layers of retinal nerve fibers (which transmit visual signals from the retina).

These issues can be manifested as unclear viewing or loss of vision. That is why it is important to see a doctor for any change in vision.

Vision problems have long been related to cognitive decline, especially in older adults.

A study last year found that visual sensitivity tests can potentially predict dementia for up to 12 years before an official diagnosis.

Diagnosis of dementia can be complicated because there is no single final evidence.

Cognitive estimates, brain scans and blood tests are often used to diagnose Alzheimer’s disease, the most common type of dementia.

“I was surprised that Venules were associated with so many different areas of Alzheimer’s disease-suggesting that it could be a particularly useful objective for assessing the risk of dementia,” Barrett-Young said.

The findings were published last month in the Alzheimer’s disease newspaper.

“This research is still at an early stage, and we cannot predict your future by seeing an eye scan,” Barrett-Young said.

“Hopefully, one day we will be able to use the methods of it in eye scans to give you an indication of your brain health, but we are not there yet.”