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The eyes
may provide an early warning for dementia associated with
Alzheimer's disease, stroke and other diseases, according
to a study reported in the June issue of Stroke.
In the
study of more than 8,000 middle-aged people who had not suffered
a stroke, researchers found that those with impaired mental
function were about three times more likely to have abnormalities
in the retinal vessels, which are called arterioles.
Lead researcher
Dr. Tien Yin Wong said the study shows that people with cognitive
dementia are more likely to have pathological changes in the
retinal vessels, which may be a reflection of similar pathological
changes in the brain.
Wong,
a professor of ophthalmology at the Singapore National Eye
Center, said the study validates a long-held hypothesis that
some vascular cause other than the aging process is associated
with stroke. He said retinal exams could potentially provide
an inexpensive, noninvasive way to diagnose and evaluate vascular
dementia in the general population.
The changes
in the eye in the study can usually be detected by an ophthalmologist,"
Wong told Medical Week. "However, the study identified
the retina changes from a detailed grading of retinal photographs,
thus the sensitivity using photographs is probably higher."
Wong said
the results of this study are probably too preliminary
to suggest changes in clinical practice such as what to do
with patients who have a positive examination.
"This
study was cross-sectional, and a prospective study is needed
before these findings can be clinically applied," he
said.
Source:
Hypertension
Week of June 9, 2002
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