The association between diabetic retinopathy and cognitive impairment in patients with diabetes mellitus: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

What was studied

This review asked if diabetic retinopathy is linked to thinking problems. It also asked about dementia. Retinopathy is an eye complication of diabetes. The review used cross-sectional and longitudinal observational studies. The search ran up to December 2025. The studies covered 2,871,847 people in all.

What they found

The crude pooled analysis showed no significant link. The odds ratio was 1.07. Adjusted studies tracked new dementia over time. They found a higher rate with retinopathy. The hazard ratio was 1.55. The prediction range ran from 0.65 to 3.68. Findings for Alzheimer's disease and vascular dementia were not consistent.

What it means for patients

The authors say long-term evidence suggests a link between retinopathy and later dementia. They say findings for Alzheimer's disease and vascular dementia are inconclusive.

Why it is not certain yet

The studies differed a lot from each other. All were observational, so cause is not shown. The authors say this limits confidence in the pooled estimate. The crude analysis showed no significant link.

Source

The association between diabetic retinopathy and cognitive impairment in patients with diabetes mellitus: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

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