This Article  • Full text  • PDF  • Reply to article  • Send to a friend  • Save in My Folder  • Save to citation manager  • Permissions  Citing Articles  • Citation map  • Citing articles on HighWire  • Citing articles on Web of Science (9)  • Contact me when this article is cited  Related Content  • Similar articles in this journal  Topic Collections  • Aging/ Geriatrics  • Ophthalmological Disorders, Other  • Articles for Residents  • Alert me on articles by topic  Social Bookmarking   What's this?

Results From a Population-Based Study of Older People in the United Kingdom

Manickam Thiagarajan, FRCOphth; Jennifer R. Evans, PhD; Liam Smeeth, PhD; Richard P. L. Wormald, FRCOphth; Astrid E. Fletcher, PhD

Arch Ophthalmol. 2005;123:1397-1403.

Objective  To assess the association between mortality and cause-specific visual impairment in older people.

Methods  Visual acuity and causes of visual impairment were collected in 13 569 participants 75 years and older participating in a randomized trial of health screening. Participants were followed up for mortality for a median of 6.1 years.

Results  Compared with those with 6/6 (or 20/20 Snellen) or better visual acuity, the age- and sex-adjusted rate ratio for visually impaired people (binocular visual acuity <6/18 or <20/60 Snellen) was 1.60 (95% confidence interval, 1.47-1.74), which was markedly attenuated (rate ratio, 1.17; 95% confidence interval, 1.07-1.27) after adjustment for confounding factors. People whose visual impairment was due to cataract or age-related macular degeneration had excess risks of all-cause and cardiovascular mortality, which disappeared after adjustment. People with refractive error remained at small risk, despite adjustment, probably owing to residual confounding from factors associated with minimal use of eye services rather than underlying eye disease. There were no associations with cancer mortality.

Conclusion  Associations reported for visual impairment and mortality or for specific causes of visual impairment reflect confounding by comorbidities, risk factors, and other factors related to susceptibility to death rather than an independent biological association of vision problems or specific eye diseases.

Author Affiliations: Department of Epidemiology and Population Health, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (Mr Thiagarajan and Drs Evans, Smeeth, and Fletcher), and Moorfields Eye Hospital (Mr Wormald), London, England.

CiteULike    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    Technorati    Twitter     What's this?

THIS ARTICLE HAS BEEN CITED BY OTHER ARTICLES

Direct and Indirect Effects of Visual Impairment on Mortality Risk in Older Persons: The Blue Mountains Eye Study
Karpa et al.
Arch Ophthalmol 2009;127:1347-1353.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Risk of Admission to a Nursing Home Among Older People With Visual Impairment in Great Britain
Evans et al.
Arch Ophthalmol 2008;126:1428-1433.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Age-related macular degeneration and mortality from cardiovascular disease or stroke
Tan et al.
Br J Ophthalmol 2008;92:509-512.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Age-Related Macular Degeneration and Cancer Mortality in the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities Study
Cheung et al.
Arch Ophthalmol 2007;125:1241-1247.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Visual Impairment, Age-Related Macular Degeneration, Cataract, and Long-term Mortality: The Blue Mountains Eye Study
Cugati et al.
Arch Ophthalmol 2007;125:917-924.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Prevalence of age-related maculopathy in older Europeans: the European Eye Study (EUREYE).
Augood et al.
Arch Ophthalmol 2006;124:529-535.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT