A person has an 18 per cent chance of developing Alzheimer's Disease
A healthy person has an 18 per cent chance of developing Alzheimer's Disease at some point in there life.
But this risk goes up by three per cent when you've been affected by eyesight, dental problems, diabetes and high blood pressure.
Regulary checking these things could significantly reduce your risk of developing the disease and related conditions.
Prasul Shah, optician at P Shah Opticians, says: "Most people believe an eye test is simply to determine whether they need glasses or not, but an eye test is a health check just as with any other part of the body. An optician can detect signs of leaking blood vessels, glaucoma, and even diabetes through a simple eye examination.
"I recommend having an eye test every one-to-two years, unless you have a specific eye health issue."
A survey commisioned by HSF health plan found that 38 per cent of UK residents are putting off medical checks because of the cost. It found that it was more women than men too.
Stephen Duff, managing director of HSF health plan, says this is a false economy and delaying essential treatment usually means more cost, pain and damage in the long run.
He says: "Putting off visits to the dentist or optician increases your chances of preventable diseases, like mouth cancer and glaicoma not being discovered until it's too late. Many conditions unrelated to your mouth and eyes are detected by dentists and opticians in routine checks.
"Discovered early these illnesses are usually simply treated, but left undectected too long they can become life-threatening problems. For example; NHS Choices says that two out of every 100 people over 40 are affected by Glaucoma and Mouth Cancer UK says that mouth cancer kills one person every three hours in the UK because of it's late detection."
Femalefirst Taryn Davies
Tagged in Health Alzheimer's Disease