UCL in the News: Glaucoma could be early warning for Alzheimer's

Scientists at UCL found a "clear link between what causes Alzheimer's and one of the basic mechanisms behind glaucoma". …

If glaucoma is confirmed as a major risk factor for Alzheimer's then the early warning signs it gives could help ensure that patients have more opportunities to delay the onset of dementia using drugs. …

Dr Francesca Cordeiro, who led the team at the UCL Institute of Ophthalmology, said: "We've seen for the first time that there is a clear link between what causes Alzheimer's and one of the basic mechanisms behind glaucoma." …

She said: "Normally the incidence of glaucoma is 1.8 per cent, but one study found it was at least 25 per cent in an Alzheimer's population."

However she said more studies were needed, and emphasised that "this doesn't mean that everyone with Alzheimer's will develop glaucoma or vice versa. Glaucoma has a number of risk factors." …

A member of the London team, Dr Li Guo, showed that drugs that prevent the build-up of "plaque" proteins in Alzheimer's brains were successful in treating glaucoma in rats. …

Research carried out previously by Dr Cordeiro and colleagues suggested that the retina can provide a window into the brain, allowing doctors to diagnose Alzheimer's disease by looking for evidence of nerve cell death.

She said: "High street opticians have been routinely looking at the brain in a more direct way than has been possible by high tech brain scanners." …

Roger Highfield and Stephen Adams, 'The Daily Telegraph'