A new study by the University of Michigan Health System elderly adults suffering from poor vision, particularly untreated vision problems, is likely to have a higher risk of developing dementia than those with better vision.

The study based on US Medicare data depicts that those with poor vision who visited an ophthalmologist at least once for an examination were 64 percent less susceptible to experience dementia.

During the study period, it is revealed that 168 participants developed Alzheimer's disease or other forms of dementia, while, of those men and women, less than 10 percent had experienced excellent vision at the start of the study.

On the contrary, nearly 25% of the them who went on to develop dementia had rated their vision as “fair” or “poor” at the outset, contrasted with 11 percent of those whose memory and thinking remained intact.

According to lead author Mary A. M. Rogers, the results reveal that older adults with vision problems should seek treatment -- if for no other reason than to improve their sight.

The study used US Medicare data and shows that those with poor vision who visited an ophthalmologist at least once for an examination were 64 percent less likely to develop dementia.