Less Self-Reported Cataract Surgery Among Those With Dementia

A new study published in Jama Ophthalmology suggests that cataract surgery may be underutilized in people with cognitive impairment and dementia, reports Healio . Researchers examined data from the National Health and Aging Trends Study, an annual longitudinal survey annually of U.S. Medicare beneficiaries 65 years and older. Participants who had received cataract surgery before enrollment were excluded. The research team found that individuals with possible and probable cognitive impairment and dementia were significantly less likely to undergo cataract surgery than those with normal cognition. "It is possible that cognitive impairment and dementia is a proxy for other correctional factors like older age, nonwhite race, lower educational attainment, lower income, etc., which are also barriers to cataract extraction," they wrote. The researchers urge doctors to be aware of the potential underuse of "this effective, low-risk treatment in people with cognitive impairment and dementia."