Cataract surgery may lower dementia risk
Research we're watching
- Reviewed by Toni Golen, MD, Editor in Chief, Harvard Women's Health Watch; Editorial Advisory Board Member, Harvard Health Publishing; Contributor
Researchers in Singapore examined 24 earlier studies that involved more than 558,000 older adults (average age 66, 53% women). The studies focused on people who had undergone cataract surgery and had their cognitive function assessed and compared against people who either did not have cataracts or had untreated cataracts. Among participants tracked for seven to 10 years, those who underwent cataract surgery were 25% less likely to develop cognitive decline or dementia compared with those who had untreated cataracts. The long-term risk of cognitive decline was similar between cataract surgery patients and people who didn't have cataracts.
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About the Author
Maureen Salamon, Executive Editor, Harvard Women's Health Watch
About the Reviewer
Toni Golen, MD, Editor in Chief, Harvard Women's Health Watch; Editorial Advisory Board Member, Harvard Health Publishing; Contributor
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