title: Cognitive Impairment and Age-Related Vision Disorders: Their Possible Relationship and the Evaluation of the Use of Aspirin and Statins in a 65 Years-and-Over Sardinian Population.
abstract: Neurological disorders (Alzheimer's disease, vascular and mixed dementia) and visual loss (cataract, age-related macular degeneration, glaucoma, and diabetic retinopathy) are among the most common conditions that afflict people of at least 65 years of age. An increasing body of evidence is emerging, which demonstrates that memory and vision impairment are closely, significantly, and positively linked and that statins and aspirin may lessen the risk of developing age-related visual and neurological problems. However, clinical studies have produced contradictory results. Thus, the intent of the present study was to reliably establish whether a relationship exist between various types of dementia and age-related vision disorders, and to establish whether statins and aspirin may or may not have beneficial effects on these two types of disorders. We found that participants with dementia and/or vision problems were more likely to be depressed and displayed worse functional ability in basic and instrumental activities of daily living than controls. Mini mental state examination scores were significantly lower in patients with vision disorders compared to subjects without vision disorders. A closer association with macular degeneration was found in subjects with Alzheimer's disease than in subjects without dementia or with vascular dementia, mixed dementia, or other types of age-related vision disorders. When we considered the associations between different types of dementia and vision disorders and the use of statins and aspirin, we found a significant positive association between Alzheimer's disease and statins on their own or in combination with aspirin, indicating that these two drugs do not appear to reduce the risk of Alzheimer's disease or improve its clinical evolution and may, on the contrary, favor its development. No significant association in statin use alone, aspirin use alone, or the combination of these was found in subjects without vision disorders but with dementia, and, similarly, none in subjects with vision disorders but without dementia. Overall, these results confirm the general impression so far; namely, that macular degeneration may contribute to cognitive disorders (Alzheimer's disease in particular). In addition, they also suggest that, while statin and aspirin use may undoubtedly have some protective effects, they do not appear to be magic pills against the development of cognitive impairment or vision disorders in the elderly.
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Scienze Mediche, Università degli Studi di Cagliari , Cagliari , Italy.
authors.forename: Antonella
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mandas
authors.affiliation: Divisione Geriatria, Centro Alzheimer e disturbi della Memoria, P.O. SS. Trinità , Cagliari , Italy.
authors.forename: Rosa Maria
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Mereu
authors.affiliation: Divisione Geriatria, Centro Alzheimer e disturbi della Memoria, P.O. SS. Trinità , Cagliari , Italy.
authors.forename: Olga
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Catte
authors.affiliation: Divisione Geriatria, Centro Alzheimer e disturbi della Memoria, P.O. SS. Trinità , Cagliari , Italy.
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Saba
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Scienze Mediche, Università degli Studi di Cagliari , Cagliari , Italy.
authors.forename: Luca
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Serchisu
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Scienze Mediche, Università degli Studi di Cagliari , Cagliari , Italy.
authors.forename: Diego
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Costaggiu
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Scienze Chirurgiche e Odontoiatriche, Clinica Oculistica, Università degli Studi di Cagliari , Cagliari , Italy.
authors.forename: Enrico
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Peiretti
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Scienze Chirurgiche e Odontoiatriche, Clinica Oculistica, Università degli Studi di Cagliari , Cagliari , Italy.
authors.forename: Giulia
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Caminiti
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Scienze Chirurgiche e Odontoiatriche, Clinica Oculistica, Università degli Studi di Cagliari , Cagliari , Italy.
authors.forename: Michela
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Vinci
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Scienze Chirurgiche e Odontoiatriche, Clinica Oculistica, Università degli Studi di Cagliari , Cagliari , Italy.
authors.forename: Maura
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Casu
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Scienze Chirurgiche e Odontoiatriche, Clinica Oculistica, Università degli Studi di Cagliari , Cagliari , Italy.
authors.forename: Stefania
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Piludu
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Scienze Chirurgiche e Odontoiatriche, Clinica Oculistica, Università degli Studi di Cagliari , Cagliari , Italy.
authors.forename: Maurizio
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Fossarello
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Scienze Mediche, Università degli Studi di Cagliari , Cagliari , Italy.
authors.forename: Paolo Emilio
authors.initials: PE
authors.lastname: Manconi
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Scienze Mediche, Università degli Studi di Cagliari , Cagliari , Italy.
authors.forename: Sandra
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Dessí
keywords: age-related vision disorders; aspirin; dementia; elderly; statins