Eye Disease Linked To Cognitive Impairment
May 13, 2009 by Cherie Burbach
Filed under Diseases & Conditions
Macular degeneration is a frightening diagnosis for elderly patients, and new research has indicated that it could be related in some ways to Alzheimer’s disease. According to one source, “both conditions involve similar changes in the brain and eye, including the buildup of protein fragments known as beta-amyloid.” Also, the two diseases both are made worse with high blood pressure and cigarette smoking, and are linked to a higher risk of stroke.
Also, when older adults score lower on tests related to memory and learning, they are more likely to have the “early stages of the eye disease age-related macular degeneration.”
Image: sxc.hu.
University of Maryland researchers suggest that carotenoids, particularly lycopene may protect the eye against oxidative damage and play a critical role in visual function. The identification of lycopene and a diverse range of dietary carotenoids in ocular tissues suggest that these carotenoids, as well as other nutrients found in tomato-based foods, may work in concert with lutein and zeaxanthin to provide protection against age related macular degeneration and other visual disorders.