Having good vision may play an unexpected role on your mental health. According to a study, poor near-range vision could accelerate the onset of Alzheimer's as patients age.
Researchers found that among some 2,100 elderly Hispanic Americans, age 65 and older, those with considerable impairments in their near vision tended to demonstrate a steeper decline in mental function. And while the exact reason for the link is uncertain, poor close-range vision may inhibit good-for-your-brain activities such as:
... and contribute to cognitive decline. Less visual stimulation to the brain may also affect how nerve cells work, according to researchers.
Study Details
Throughout the seven-year study, participants were periodically given standard tests of mental function. Both men and women were screened for impairments in their corrected vision; for tests of near vision, they were asked to read numbers from a card while wearing glasses or contact lenses.
Results showed:
While 7 percent of patients had problems with near and distance vision, twice that number had impaired near-range vision.
Compared to their peers, patients who had near-range vision problems showed a quicker rate in decline on mental functioning tests throughout the course of the study.
For uncertain reasons, Hispanic Americans seemed to have an increased rate of age-related cognitive impairment than non-Hispanic older Americans.
Such findings highlight the importance of routine eye care for older adults who are at an increased risk of vision-robbing eye diseases.
Journal of the American Geriatrics Society April 2005, 53(4):681-6
Reuters May 12, 2005
My guess is that most of us had no appreciation of this fact. It was new to me until the end of May. I turned 50 last year, and for the last five years, like most of you in this age range, I have noticed a progressive decline in my near vision (presbyopia).
It was becoming virtually impossible to read the menu in a dark restaurant without glasses. Well, a few weeks ago I flew to Los Angeles to undergo some private mentoring in a vision restoration process that has been around for nearly 100 years.
And I have to tell you that it worked! I am so excited as I can now see about 50 percent better, and it is likely I will be able to read 4-point font at six inches from my eyes in dim light with the new exercises I am doing. This is one of the most exciting personal health benefits I have ever experienced. To regain lost vision without the use of glasses is absolutely amazing.
The key is to remove the mental strain, stop staring and relax, and you can start to read very tiny print. Up until the time I had my consultation, I had no idea that losing my near vision was also impairing my memory and mental function, but I can certainly see that now and more fully appreciate it.
It cost me several thousand dollars to learn this technique -- and I am still working through it -- but I plan on offering an entire course on this process in the fall once I have fully regained my near vision. In the meantime, NEVER, NEVER, NEVER get laser eye surgery (LASIK) done, as it has a significant failure rate and can cause serious side effects. But, more importantly, it does absolutely NOTHING to treat the cause of the problem and is guaranteed 100 percent to make your vision WORSE over time.
Trust me, I give you my word on this; it is absolutely true. Your vision will only worsen with time once you have LASIK performed. So why would you want to take the risk and have this done?
It is also vital to remember that there are other important issues aside from maintaining your near vision that will also be helpful in preventing the impending Alzheimer's epidemic.
While the development of Alzheimer's disease and other forms of mental decline can be heavily influenced by what you eat and toxins in the environment, your chances of avoiding such decline can be greatly increased by keeping both physically and mentally active as you age.
Since having good eyesight can play an important role in your ability to remain mentally active, it makes perfect sense that someone who can't see well might give up on activities that require them to be able to see. Make sure this doesn't happen to you by following my four steps to maintaining good eyesight as you age:
Additional Tips for Preventing Alzheimer's Disease
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