Blindness is linked to dementia
A retrospective cohort study published in the American Journal of Ophthalmology found an association between age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson's disease and Alzheimer's disease.
AMD, especially the wet form, is the most common cause of vision loss and blindness in developed countries in patients over 50 years of age. A cascade of pathological mechanisms leads to irreversible damage to nerve cells in the retina of the eye.
To determine whether degenerative damage to retinal nerve tissue is related to that in the brain, Korean scientists conducted a large retrospective study involving 308,340 patients aged 50 years and older. Some patients were diagnosed with AMD in 2003-2005. All participants' medical records were analyzed for Alzheimer's disease and/or Parkinson's disease.
The presence of AMD was associated with an approximately 1.5-fold increased risk of Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases. The risk remained elevated even among those who never smoked, did not drink alcohol and regularly exercised. The risk was higher among patients younger than 70 years compared to patients aged 70 years and older.
This study complements previous work devoted to the identification of common pathophysiological mechanisms of the development of neurogenerative diseases and AMD. Previously, it was found that the level of beta-amyloid is elevated in patients with neurodegenerative diseases and AMD. However, inhibition of beta-amyloid did not improve the course of AMD. Additional work is required in this direction in order to better understand this relationship and apply it to improve the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of age-related diseases of the retina and brain.
Article S.Choi et al. Association of Age-Related Macular Degeneration on Alzheimer's or Parkinson's Disease: A Retrospective Cohort Study published in the American Journal of Ophthalmology.
Aminat Adzhieva, portal "Eternal Youth" http://vechnayamolodost.ru based on the materials of the American Academy of Ophthalmology: AMD linked to a higher risk of neurodegenerative disease.