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Wellbeing LONG-TERM vision disorders affected 93 per cent of people aged 55 and older in 2017-18, according to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare’s Eye Health Web Report. Of course, there are many eye conditions that affect people at various stages of life and these often depend on genetic, congenital and lifestyle factors. According to Daniel Cornelius from Clearly.com.au, the most common to impact ageing Australians are: • Presbyopia, or “the ageing eye’’, the effects of which we will all experience from the age of about 40 as a normal part of growing older. This condition affects the ability of the eye to change focus from far to near. The onset may vary slightly depending on the lifestyle and environment where people grow up and spend most of their time before the age of 40. • Cataracts: Just like presbyopia, developing cataracts is a normal part of ageing and is not always classified as an eye disease. Cataracts occur when the
WELLBEING
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Look health in the eye EYE-CARE TIPS
BE WATCHFUL: Glaucoma is a silent disease that develops slowly, experts say.
crystalline lens of the eye starts to lose its transparency.This condition is dealt with by extraction of the opacified crystalline lens of the eye and replacing it with a clear artificial lens. • Glaucoma – a condition whereby the optic nerve of the eye progressively becomes damaged. This is often associated with high
pressure in the eye. The loss of vision typically occurs in the peripheral sight and often goes undetected. In most cases, this condition can be treated successfully. Unfortunately, glaucoma remains one of the major causes of blindness in the world. This is because the condition has no or very few symptoms in the initial
stages and it is probably the most under-diagnosed of serious eye diseases. • Age-related macular degeneration: This is among the major causes of blindness in Australia. It typically affects central vision. There are two types of age-related macular degeneration: dry and wet. Dry macular degeneration
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typically progresses very slowly and does not often result in legal blindness. Unfortunately, there are currently no treatments for this condition. • Diabetic retinal disease: There has been a dramatic increase in type 2 diabetes among the ageing population of the world, leading to a radical increase
• Visit you optometrist at least yearly. • Consult your optometrist as soon as you notice a difference in your vision. • Have the right ‘tool’ for the task. In today’s visually demanding world, it makes sense to optimise your vision for specific tasks. • Consider contact lenses as an alternative to wearing your prescription glasses. • Maintain A healthy weight: exercise and diet help prevent diabetes and high blood pressure.
in diabetic retinopathy. The risk of developing these retinal complications greatly increase with undiagnosed type 2 diabetes or poorly controlled type 2 diabetes. Managing the risk for related eye disease requires a multidisciplinary approach, with regular screening for retinal disease recommended.
Dementia drink link is targeted CLARIFYING the relationship between alcohol use and dementia is just one of 19 new projects that will share in $1.5 million in grants to conduct groundbreaking dementia research. Dr Louise Mewton from UNSW Sydney’s Centre for Healthy Brain Ageing (CHeBA) was awarded a $75,000 Dementia Australia Research Foundation Pilot Grant, sponsored by the Dementia Centre for Research Collaboration, and will use the funding to clarify the relationship between low to moderate alcohol use and the risk of dementia. “This world-first study combines innovative, stateof the-art research methods to address two of the largest contributors to the global disease burden: dementia and alcohol use,” she said. “To date, the relationships between these two key causes of death and V1 - SENE01Z01MA
disability have been underresearched and overlooked. It is critical that we have a better understanding of how alcohol use is related to agerelated diseases such as dementia. “This research will uncover innovative avenues for dementia prevention through the development of age-appropriate, evidencebased recommendations on the number of standard drinks per week associated with minimal dementia risk.” The chair of the Dementia Australia Research Foundation, Professor Graeme Samuel (AC), said the grants provided support to early and mid-career researchers who wanted to make a difference in the field of dementia. “This next generation of talented researchers will be among those tackling some of the biggest challenges in this field. These grants
CRUCIAL LINK: New research is looking into how alcohol use relates to dementia.
provide vital insights into reducing dementia risk, improving accurate and timely diagnoses and establishing treatment and care options for people who
live with dementia,” he said. “With the number of people living with dementia expected to increase to almost 1.1 million by 2058, research into dementia is
now more urgent than ever. “Further, the broad range of projects supported, including nanotechnology, hip-fracture prevention, enhancing cognition with
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exercise and personalising care through music, reflect the increased diversity and quality of research in the dementia space across Australia.’’
