According to a study published in the British Journal of Ophthalmology, age-related macular degeneration (AMD), cataract, and diabetes-related eye disease (DRED) have an independent association with an increased risk for dementia.

Researchers evaluated data on 112,364 adults, 55 to 73 years of age, enrolled in the UK Biobank study. The subjects were assessed from 2006 to 2010 at baseline and were followed until early this year. There were 2304 cases of dementia over 1,263,513 person-years of follow-up. There was a 26% higher risk for dementia among individuals with AMD, 11% higher risk among those with cataract, and 61% higher risk among people with DRED, in comparison with those who had no ophthalmic conditions at the onset of the study. Additionally, the risk for dementia was shown to be higher if people had both ophthalmic and systemic conditions, such as diabetes, heart disease, stroke or depression, compared to having only an ophthalmic or systemic condition… (Medscape)