Glaucoma is an eye disease that can slowly steal your sight. It damages the optic nerve, which is the part of the eye that sends messages to the brain.
If glaucoma is not treated, it can lead to blindness.
Usually, glaucoma happens when there is too much pressure inside the eye. But there’s a rare kind called normal-tension glaucoma. In this type, the eye pressure is normal, but damage still happens to the optic nerve.
Alzheimer’s is a brain disease that causes memory loss, confusion, and changes in behavior. Over time, it can make it hard for a person to do everyday tasks.
Now, researchers from Taiwan have found a link between these two conditions. They studied the health records of over 15,000 people with normal-tension glaucoma and compared them with 61,000 people who didn’t have the condition. The study followed these people for 12 years.
The results were surprising. People with normal-tension glaucoma had a 52% higher risk of developing Alzheimer’s. The risk was especially high for older women and for people who had a stroke before. Even when patients used medicine to treat their glaucoma, their risk of Alzheimer’s did not go down.
Dr. Yu-Yen Chen, who led the study, said that doctors should also check people with this type of glaucoma for signs of Alzheimer’s. That way, they can get the help they need earlier.
Why are these two diseases connected? Both glaucoma and Alzheimer’s involve nerve cells that get sick and die. In the eyes, this leads to vision loss. In the brain, it leads to memory problems and other thinking issues.
Scientists believe that by learning more about how these conditions are related, they might find new ways to treat both diseases.
It’s important to remember that not everyone with glaucoma will get Alzheimer’s. But knowing there could be a link helps us take better care of our health.
Our eyes and our brains are more connected than we might think. Regular check-ups and listening to changes in your body can help catch problems early. And catching things early can help us stay healthy and live better lives.
If you care about Alzheimer’s disease, please read studies about Research shows root cause of Alzheimer’s disease and new treatment and findings of Scientists find the link between eye disease glaucoma and Alzheimer’s disease.
For more about Alzheimer’s disease, please read studies about Scientists find a new way to treat Alzheimer’s disease and findings of Fluctuating cholesterol and triglyceride levels are linked to Alzheimer’s disease.
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