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Researchers say there could also be a link between dementia risk and delays in cataract surgery (a procedure to remove and replace the attention's cloudy lens). A study published online Dec. 6, 2021, by JAMA Internal Medicine It found that folks who had this vision-correcting surgery had a lower risk of developing dementia than individuals who had cataracts but didn't have the surgery. This was the case even after controlling for other risk aspects.
The researchers used data from the Adult Changes in Thought (ACT) study, which enrolls adults age 65 and older who wouldn't have dementia. ACT began in 1994 and follows participants over time to see who develops dementia. For this evaluation, the researchers included participants from the ACT study who were diagnosed with cataracts while still freed from dementia. The researchers also included a comparison group with one other eye condition, glaucoma, which damages the optic nerve.
The researchers hypothesized that the reduced risk of dementia after cataract surgery could also be related to improved vision. Glaucoma surgery, which helps preserve vision but doesn't improve visual acuity, was not significantly related to dementia risk. However, this observational study only shows an association between cataract surgery and a lower risk of dementia and doesn't prove that having cataract surgery reduces cognitive decline.
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