Cataract Operations Cut Risk Of Dementia

Eye surgery for cataracts appears to lower the risk of dementia by 30 per cent, according to scientists.

- Georgia Lambert

Cataracts affect most older adults at risk of dementia, but researchers have found strong evidence that the operation is linked to a lower chance of developing it.

Using a well-established observational study called the Adult Changes in Thought (ACT), researchers from US healthcare firm Kaiser Permanente enlisted the help of more than 5,000 people aged 65 and over.

Evidence

The team found that cataract patients had nearly a 30 per cent lower risk of developing dementia from any cause compared with those who did not have the surgery.

The lesser risk also persisted for at least a decade after the vision improving surgery, and this specific treatment was linked with a reduced chance of Alzheimer’s disease.