Dementia is an umbrella term for devastating neurodegenerative conditions, for which there is no cure yet. And while risk factors traditionally include genes and age, scientists believe eye health should be added to the list. Scientists from the United States said improved eyesight could prevent dementia, according to research published in the journal JAMA Neurology. Joshua Ehrlich notes in the paper: "We've known for some time that low vision is a risk factor for dementia.

We've also learned that a very large portion of vision impairment is either avoidable or not yet treated." The results of the study showed that better eye health would have prevented about 2% of dementia cases in the United States in 2018, the equivalent of 100,000 cases.

The researchers "found it surprising that vision impairment was overlooked in the main models of modifiable dementia risk factors that are used to shape health policy and resource allocation," explains Ehrlich.