Hearing, Vision Loss Increase Risk Of Dementia, Researchers Report

The New York Times (8/8, Glover-Smith ) says “a report published last week by an international commission focused on dementia prevention” found that “adults over age 65 who experience vision loss have a nearly 50 percent increased risk of developing dementia.” However, if the “vision problems are corrected, that risk drops dramatically.” The commission also “found that people with hearing loss have a 37 percent increased risk for developing dementia,” with more severe hearing loss leading to a higher risk. The findings led the commission to add “vision impairment to its list of 14 total modifiable risk factors for dementia,” which also includes “smoking, diabetes, social isolation and hypertension.” The report was published in The Lancet.

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Posted in In The News.