A type of glaucoma called normal-tension glaucoma is associated with an increased risk of cognitive impairment and possibly dementia, finds research published online in the British Journal of Ophthalmology.
Glaucoma is a condition in which the optic nerve becomes damaged and this can eventually lead to blindness. In most types of glaucoma, the damage is caused by a build-up of pressure in the eye, but this is not the case with normal-tension glaucoma.
The disease pathway for normal-tension glaucoma — a subtype of primary open angle glaucoma (POAG) — is not fully understood, but the authors say their findings suggest that it may share similar neurodegenerative pathways with dementia.
Primary open angle glaucoma and dementia have been linked in some previous studies, but not all studies have found this association.
Primary open angle glaucoma encompasses not only low-tension glaucoma…
