Effect of Visual Impairment on Physical and Cognitive Function in Old Age: Findings of a Population-Based Prospective Cohort Study in Germany
- Autores: André Hajek, Christian Brettschneider, Dagmar Lühmann, Marion Eisele, Silke Mamone, Birgitt Wiese, Siegfried Weyerer, Jochen Werle, Michael Pentzek, Angela Fuchs, Steffi G. Riedel-Heller, Tobias Luck, Horst Bickel, Dagmar Weeg, Alexander Koppara, Michael Wagner, Hans-Helmut König, Martin Scherer, Wolfgang Maier
- Localización: Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, ISSN 0002-8614, Vol. 64, Nº. 11, 2016, págs. 2311-2316
- Idioma: inglés
- Enlaces
- Dialnet Métricas: 1 Cita
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Resumen
Objectives To examine how visual impairment affects physical and cognitive function in old age.
Design A longitudinal population-based prospective cohort study.
Setting General practitioner offices at six study centers in Germany. They were observed every 1.5 years over four waves.
Participants Individuals aged 77–101 at follow-up Wave 2 (N = 2,394).
Measurements Physical and cognitive function were assessed using an adapted scale that had been previously developed, and visual impairment was rated on a Likert scale (none, mild, severe or profound).
Results Adjusting for sociodemographic factors and comorbidity, linear fixed-effects regression showed that the onset of severe visual impairment was associated with a decline in physical function score in the total sample (β = −0.15, P = .01) and in women (β = −.15, P = .03). Moreover, the onset of severe visual impairment was associated with decline in cognitive function score in the total sample (β = −0.38, P < .001) and in women (β = −0.38, P < .001) and men (β = −0.37, P = .001).
Conclusion Visual impairment affects physical and cognitive function in old age. Interventional strategies to postpone visual impairment may contribute to maintaining physical and cognitive function.
