Seeing the Connection: Why Eye Health Matters
When it comes to preserving memory and cognitive abilities, most people think about things like brain games, exercise, and maybe keeping blood pressure in check. These are all important – and if you’re already taking walks or learning new skills to boost your brain health, you’re on the right path. But there’s another mid-life health factor you might not immediately connect with brain health: your vision.
Your eyes do more than help you see - they help your brain stay sharp and connected to the world. Failing eyesight isn’t just a vision problem; it’s now recognized as a risk factor for dementia. According to the 2024 Lancet Commission on dementia, 45% of dementia cases could be prevented through treatment of 14 modifiable risk factors - untreated vision loss is one of them. If the clues on your daily crossword are getting blurry, a vision check might give you as big a brain boost as your puzzle habit.
Vision and hearing together act like your brain’s information highway. When one of these senses is compromised, your brain has to work harder to make sense of the world. Over time, this extra effort can lead to fatigue, social withdrawal, and reduced mental stimulation—all of which can speed up cognitive decline.
Twenty percent of adults over 65 in the U.S. struggle with significant vision or hearing loss. Vision problems are often treatable though. Simple steps like regular eye exams, wearing the right glasses, and treating cataracts can make a big difference for your memory and your brain health. In this article, we will explore the connection between vision health and brain health and discuss what you can do to make the most of yours.
But it's important to remember, this is only one of many modifiable behavioral risk factors for Alzheimer's and dementia.
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Why Vision Matters for Brain Health
Vision is a complicated collaboration between your eyes and your brain. Light is detected by your eyes, turned into nerve signals that travel through your optic nerve to your brain where they are interpreted as the images you see. Your eyes need to focus and direct light onto your retina dozens of times every second to provide the information which triggers your retina to turn that light into the chemical and electrical nerve signals your brain can process.
Your eyes and brain are deeply connected. About half of your brain’s pathways are involved in processing visual information. When vision declines, your brain has to “fill in the gaps,” leading to cognitive strain. Untreated vision loss can reduce brain stimulation. Less visual input means fewer signals for your brain to process and learn from. Less learning leads to lower cognitive reserve and decreased brain plasticity which leaves your brain more vulnerable to the impacts of dementia.
Recent studies show strong links between vision health and brain health. Researchers believe that restoring clear vision helps maintain normal brain activity and keeps people socially and mentally engaged. One study of over 3,000 people showed that older adults who treated their vision loss with cataract surgery were about 30% less likely to develop dementia than those who didn’t treat their vision loss.
Another study of over 10,000 individuals showed that those with visual impairment were more than twice as likely to develop dementia when assessed 8 years later as those with normal vision. Taking care of your eyes isn’t just about clearer sight - it can also help protect your brain.
Vision and its Connection to Other Risk Factors
The 2024 Lancet Commission on dementia identified 14 modifiable risk factors for dementia. Untreated vision loss is one of them, but vision loss also impacts several of the other identified risk factors like social isolation, physical inactivity, traumatic brain injury and lifelong learning.
Difficulty seeing can make socializing or going out harder, contributing to loneliness and additional lack of brain stimulation. Every conversation requires you to pay attention, recall information, process emotions, and adapt your responses. When you take that stimulation away, brain health suffers. Social isolation can also contribute to depression which also increases the risk of dementia.
Poor vision can also lead to accidents and injuries. Any fall can be painful, but falls which involve blows to the head are particularly dangerous for brain health. Traumatic brain injuries, including concussions, are responsible for 3% of dementia cases according to the 2024 Lancet Commission on dementia. Trouble seeing can also reduce confidence in movement which makes you less likely to exercise regularly and robs you of exercise related brain health benefits.
On the flip side, restoring or protecting vision helps you stay active, confident, and engaged - key ingredients of a brain-healthy lifestyle. Maintaining good vision supports healthy habits - reading, walking safely, staying social, and continuing hobbies - that keep the mind active. Keeping your eyes healthy truly supports your whole brain.
What You Can Do to Support Your Vision
Prioritize regular eye exams: Get your eyes checked every year, or as recommended by your eye doctor. Don’t assume blurry vision or needing more light is just aging. Have a regular eye exam even if you think your vision is good. Vision changes can happen so slowly you might not notice them. Eye exams can also detect eye conditions like cataracts, glaucoma, macular degeneration, and diabetic eye disease. These are most treatable when they are caught early.
Address vision issues promptly: See a doctor immediately if you have sudden changes in vision. These changes can be symptoms of other health issues.
If you’ve been prescribed new glasses, contacts, or surgery, follow through. Studies show that treating vision problems—especially cataracts—can lower dementia risk. Better vision helps you read, drive, and connect with others more easily and safely, keeping your brain engaged and stimulated.Protect your eyes every day: Wear sunglasses with UV protection when you are out in bright light and be sure to use eye protection like safety goggles when you are in a situation where spills or projectiles could damage your eyes. Prevention is the best medicine.
Live a healthy lifestyle: Your eye health is a reflection of your overall health. Staying physically active and taking care of other health conditions will have a positive impact on your eyes as well. For example, eating colorful fruits and vegetables rich in antioxidants (like spinach and carrots) gives your eyes the nutrients they need to stay healthy. If you smoke, make a plan to quit. Smoking doubles your risk of macular degeneration - a serious eye condition.
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The Bottom Line
Clear vision helps you stay connected - to the world, to loved ones, and to life itself. Eye health isn’t just about seeing better; it’s about thinking better, too. Regular eye exams, prompt treatment of vision problems, and everyday eye protection are simple, powerful ways to keep your brain strong.
By caring for your eyes, you’re giving your brain the sensory input, confidence, and stimulation it needs to stay healthy as you age. So don’t put off that eye exam - your future self will see the difference.
What’s Next
Treating vision loss is just one of 14 lifestyle changes you can make to minimize your risk for dementia. It can feel overwhelming to manage all of them. You don’t have to change everything at once and you don’t have to figure it out on your own. Mindr can help! With Mindr, you will have access to all of these success boosting tools:
An easy to follow personalized risk factor management plan that fits your life
Daily guidance and reminders so you know exactly what to do each day
Frequent assessments and tracking so you can see your progress
A human in the loop to support and encourage you
Many studies, including the U.S. POINTER trial, a study of lifestyle changes conducted by the Alzheimer’s Association, have shown that coaching support and structured intervention plans give people a statistically significant edge over those who are self-guided.
You wouldn’t still be reading this if having a healthy brain wasn’t important to you. The lifestyle changes that will get you there are within your reach. You have the will, we’ll show you the way - one day at a time. You can do this and we can help.
References
Baker, L. D., Espeland, M. A., Whitmer, R. A., et al. (2025). Structured vs self-guided multidomain lifestyle interventions for global cognitive function: The US POINTER randomized clinical trial. JAMA, 334(8), 681–691. https://doi.org/10.1001/jama.2025.12923
Chen, S. et al. (2021). Bidirectional Association between Visual Impairment and Dementia Among Older Adults in the United States Over Time. Ophthalmology. 128(9). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ophtha.2021.02.021
Cleveland Clinic. (n.d.) Vision. https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/articles/21204-vision
Lee, C. S., Gibbons, L. E., Lee, A. Y., Gordon, M. A., Kristjansson, B., Kern, R. W., McCurry, S. M., Larson, E. B., & Crane, P. K. (2022). Association between cataract extraction and development of dementia: A longitudinal cohort study. JAMA Internal Medicine, 182(2), 134-141. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamainternmed.2021.6990
Livingston, G.,et al. (2024). Dementia prevention, intervention, and care: 2024 report of the Lancet standing Commission. The Lancet, 404(10452), 572-628. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(24)01296-0
Patil, S. A., Grossman, S., Kenney, R., Balcer, L. J., & Galetta, S. (2023). Where's the Vision? The Importance of Visual Outcomes in Neurologic Disorders: The 2021 H. Houston Merritt Lecture. Neurology, 100(5), 244–253. https://doi.org/10.1212/WNL.0000000000201490
Zheng, D. D., Swenor, B. K., Christ, S. L., West, S. K., Lam, B. L., & Lee, D. J. (2018). Longitudinal Associations Between Visual Impairment and Cognitive Functioning: The Salisbury Eye Evaluation Study. JAMA ophthalmology, 136(9), 989–995. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamaophthalmol.2018.2493
