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Jun 16, 2025

Cataract surgery may curb dementia, Alzheimer’s risk in those without anxiety, depression

By Justin Cooper Fact checked by Christine Klimanskis, ELS

Key takeaways:

  • Cataract surgery had a protective effect against overall dementia and Alzheimer’s, but not vascular dementia.
  • There was no protection in patients with anxiety or depression.

Perspective from Alexander Martin, OD, FAAO

Cataract surgery may reduce the risk of developing dementia, particularly Alzheimer’s disease, but not in patients with anxiety or depression, according to data published in British Journal of Ophthalmology.

“Cataract, a highly prevalent ophthalmic condition, not only compromises vision but has also been linked to cognitive decline and [common mental disorders such as anxiety or depression],” Shih-Kai Kao, of Shin Kong Wu Ho-Su Memorial Hospital, Taiwan, and colleagues wrote. “Encouragingly, prior research has suggested that cataract surgery may reduce the risk of dementia in affected patients.

“However, most existing studies have focused on the general population, with little attention paid to whether individuals with concurrent [common mental disorders] and cataracts can achieve similar protective effects against dementia after surgery. Furthermore, the protective effects of cataract surgery on different dementia subtypes remain underexplored.”

Read more: rb.gy/21v4pa

Source: Healio

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