@article {8708, title = {Ophthalmic conditions associated with dementia risk: The Cardiovascular Health Study.}, journal = {Alzheimers Dement}, year = {2021}, month = {2021 Mar 31}, abstract = {

INTRODUCTION: Ophthalmic conditions and dementia appear to overlap and may share common pathways, but research has not differentiated dementia subtypes.

METHODS: Diagnoses of cataracts, age-related macular degeneration (AMD), diabetic retinopathy (DR), and glaucoma were based on medical histories and International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision (ICD-9) codes for 3375 participants from the Cardiovascular Health Study. Dementia, including Alzheimer{\textquoteright}s disease (AD) and vascular dementia (VaD), was classified using standardized research criteria.

RESULTS: Cataracts were associated with AD (hazard ratio [HR]~=~1.34; 95\% confidence interval [CI]~=~1.01-1.80) and VaD/mixed dementia (HR~=~1.41; 95\% CI~=~1.02-1.95). AMD was associated with AD only (HR~=~1.87; 95\% CI~=~1.13-3.09), whereas DR was associated with VaD/mixed dementia only (HR~=~2.63; 95\% CI~=~1.10-6.27).

DISCUSSION: Differential associations between specific ophthalmic conditions and dementia subtypes may elucidate pathophysiologic pathways. Lack of association between glaucoma and dementia was most surprising from these analyses.

}, issn = {1552-5279}, doi = {10.1002/alz.12313}, author = {Hwang, Phillip H and Longstreth, Will T and Thielke, Stephen M and Francis, Courtney E and Carone, Marco and Kuller, Lewis H and Fitzpatrick, Annette L} }