Ophthalmology

Glaucoma linked to higher risk of Alzheimer’s, dementia

June 18, 2024

In this national matched cohort study, persons with glaucoma had increased risks for Alzheimer’s disease (AD), vascular dementia (VaD), and all-cause dementia, particularly those diagnosed with glaucoma at older ages. These findings suggestion that adults with glaucoma may need increased monitoring for dementia to facilitate earlier detection and treatment.

• Participants included 324,730 persons diagnosed with glaucoma during 1995-2017 in Sweden and 3,247,300 age- and sex-matched population-based controls without prior dementia.
• In 16 million person-years of follow-up, 10% of participants in the study group and 7% from the control group were diagnosed with dementia.
• Persons with glaucoma had increased risks for AD (adjusted HR, 1.39; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.35-1.43), VaD (1.66; 1.61-1.72), and all-cause dementia (1.57; 1.54-1.59). Among glaucoma subtypes, both primary open-angle and normal-tension glaucoma were associated with increased risk for AD (adjusted HR, 1.31; 95% CI, 1.27-1.36; and 1.28; 1.20-1.36, respectively) and VaD (1.61; 1.54-1.68; and 1.39; 1.28-1.50, respectively), whereas primary angle-closure glaucoma was associated with VaD (1.26; 1.02-1.56) but not AD (0.98; 0.82-1.18). These findings were similar in men and women. All risks were highest in persons diagnosed with glaucoma at ages ≥ 70 years and were not elevated for ages < 60 years.

Source:

Crump C, et al. (2023, October 13). Ophthalmology. Risk of Alzheimer's Disease and Related Dementias in Persons with Glaucoma: A National Cohort Study. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37839560/