Eye conditions provide new lens screening for Alzheimer's disease

Scientists have found an important correlation between Alzheimer’s disease and 3 degenerative eye diseases:  

1. age-related macular degeneration,
2. diabetic eye disease, and
3. glaucoma.

They now have a new tool to identify those at increased risk of Alzheimer’s.

The 5-year study followed 792 people, age 65 and older over a span of 5 years.

None of the individuals had Alzheimer’s at the beginning of the study.

There are currently 45 million people globally who have Alzheimer’s disease and this number will explode to more than 131.5 million by 2050.

 

Journal Reference:

Cecilia S. Lee, Eric B. Larson, Laura E. Gibbons, Aaron Y. Lee, Susan M. McCurry, James D. Bowen, Wayne C. McCormick, Paul K. Crane. Associations between recent and established ophthalmic conditions and risk of Alzheimer's disease. Alzheimer's & Dementia, 2018; DOI: 10.1016/j.jalz.2018.06.2856