AUGUST NEWSLETTER No. 351
Vision loss and high cholesterol identified as risk factors for dementia
Untreated vision loss and high LDL cholesterol have been added as two new potentially modifiable risk factors for dementia in a report released Wednesday by the Lancet Commission.
These new additions join 12 other risk factors outlined by the commission, affiliated with University College London, in previous reports on dementia prevention, intervention, and care in 2017 and 2020. The other risk factors are lack of education, hypertension, physical inactivity, diabetes, social isolation, excessive alcohol consumption, air pollution, smoking, obesity, traumatic brain injury, and depression.
Vision loss and high cholesterol identified as risk factors for dementia
A positive step forward’: Mattel launches first blind Barbie
Toymaker created the doll, which carries a cane, to create a ‘sense of belonging’ for children with vision impairment.
‘The Eyes Have It’ coalition calls for the next government to prioritise eye care
The Eyes Have It coalition, which includes RNIB, has released the following statement calling on the next government to commit to ensuring that all those affected by eye conditions receive timely, expert care that can support the best possible outcomes.
Sight loss and the cost of living
The pressures on low incomes that have persisted over the past few years have continued into 2024. While inflation has slowed, the rapid increases in living costs have not been matched by corresponding increases in benefit levels or earnings. Despite welcome increases in benefits in April 2023 and 2024, these adjustments have not compensated for the shortfall between costs and incomes created by previous years’ benefit freezes and below-inflation uprating.
For people with sight loss, this situation is exacerbated as they face additional costs specific to their disability, alongside the general increase in living costs. This briefing examines the impact of inflation on these additional costs over time, focusing on three key points: 2016, 2022, and 2024. It also compares these increases to changes in disability benefits from 2022 to 2024, assessing whether these benefits are adequate in covering the additional expenses associated with sight loss.
King’s Speech 2024 – the implications for blind and partially sighted people
The King’s Speech outlined an ambitious programme for government. Read about the implications these plans could have for blind and partially sighted people and RNIB’s calls for the year ahead.
Weight loss jabs may be linked to a condition that can cause blindness
People who have been prescribed a weight-loss injection could be at a higher risk of developing an eye condition which can lead to blindness, a study has found.