AMD and Dementia

by Henry

I have read a news item suggesting, that AMD could be used for early diagnosis of dementia
by examining how the blood vessels are
getting blocked, which interfere with the nerves leading to the brain.

Have you any knowledge of this?

Also, I have been told by my doctor, that by drawing, what one imagines to be a straight line with a pencil on the Amsler Grid chart, one can
measure the AMD condition, again, have you any thoughts on this technique.

Yours most sincerely,

Henry

Answer
Hi Henry,

Yes, I have read about associations between AMD and dementia and blood vessel blockage - and it makes sense.

My by-line is Better Health for Better Vision - in other words your eye health is a reflection of the health of the rest of your body.

If you have circulation problems in one part of your body, you will have it other places as well.

The degeneration or dying of the cells in the macula is due to the lack of circulation or transportation of nutrients and oxygen to the macula and the removal of built up waste products out of the macula.

There are different types of dementia, but vascular dementia is one of the most common. This dementia is again due to poor circulation and the lack of blood supply carrying oxygen and nutrients to the brain - most likely due to blocked or diseased blood vessels.

A recent study published in May 2009 on PubMed by Archives of OphthalmologyEarly is called Age-Related Macular Degeneration, Cognitive Function, and Dementia: the Cardiovascular Health Study.

This is the conclusion:

"CONCLUSIONS: In this older population, cognitive impairment may share common age-related pathogenesis and risk factors with early AMD."

Leslie Degner, RN, BSN