Title | Untreated poor vision: a contributing factor to late-life dementia. |
Publication Type | Journal Article |
Year of Publication | 2010 |
Authors | Rogers, MAM, Langa, KM |
Journal | Am J Epidemiol |
Volume | 171 |
Issue | 6 |
Pagination | 728-35 |
Date Published | 2010 Mar 15 |
ISSN Number | 1476-6256 |
Keywords | Aged, 80 and over, Cognition Disorders, Dementia, Female, Humans, Logistic Models, Male, Medicare, Ophthalmology, Patient Acceptance of Health Care, Risk Factors, United States, Vision Disorders |
Abstract | Ophthalmologic abnormalities have been described in patients with dementia, but the extent to which poor vision and treatment for visual disorders affect cognitive decline is not well defined. Linked data from the Health and Retirement Study and Medicare files (1992-2005) were used to follow the experiences of 625 elderly US study participants with normal cognition at baseline. The outcome was a diagnosis of dementia, cognitively impaired but no dementia, or normal cognition. Poor vision was associated with development of dementia (P = 0.0048); individuals with very good or excellent vision at baseline had a 63% reduced risk of dementia (95% confidence interval (CI): 20, 82) over a mean follow-up period of 8.5 years. Participants with poorer vision who did not visit an ophthalmologist had a 9.5-fold increased risk of Alzheimer disease (95% CI: 2.3, 39.5) and a 5-fold increased risk of cognitively impaired but no dementia (95% CI: 1.6, 15.9). Poorer vision without a previous eye procedure increased the risk of Alzheimer disease 5-fold (95% CI: 1.5, 18.8). For Americans aged 90 years or older, 77.9% who maintained normal cognition had received at least one previous eye procedure compared with 51.7% of those with Alzheimer disease. Untreated poor vision is associated with cognitive decline, particularly Alzheimer disease. |
DOI | 10.1093/aje/kwp453 |
User Guide Notes | |
Endnote Keywords | Alzheimer disease/delirium/dementia/amnestic/cognitive disorders/health services research/Medicare/memory disorders/ophthalmology/vision disorders |
Endnote ID | 22760 |
Alternate Journal | Am J Epidemiol |
Citation Key | 7466 |
PubMed ID | 20150357 |
PubMed Central ID | PMC2842219 |
Grant List | R01 AG027010 / AG / NIA NIH HHS / United States R01 AG030155 / AG / NIA NIH HHS / United States U01 AG009740 / AG / NIA NIH HHS / United States U01 AG09740 / AG / NIA NIH HHS / United States |