Visual impairment related to early death risk

Older people with cataracts or age-related macular degeneration (ARMD) have a higher chance of an early death. Cataracts occur when the clear lens in the eye clouds up, while ARMD is a progressive deterioration of the central part of the retina. A number of previous studies have found that visual impairment increases risk of death among older people, while research on the relationship between cataracts or ARMD and mortality has yielded mixed results. To better understand how ARMD and cataracts might relate to mortality, researchers from the University of Sydney evaluated 3,654 people of the age of 49 years and older who were participating in a long-term study of eye health. About 54 per cent people with any type of visual impairment died during the study's 11-year follow-up period compared with 34 per cent of those with no vision problems. Mortality during follow-up was 45.8 per cent for those with ARMD, versus 33.7 per cent for those without the condition. And 39.2 percent of people with cataract died during the study's follow-up period, compared to 29.5 per cent of those with no cataracts. Statistical techniques were used to take care of other factors linked to mortality risk, but the results still showed an increased risk of death associated with cataracts, while the increased risk of mortality with ARMD was significant only for people younger than 75 years. This finding is significant given that a major proportion of visual impairment is due to treatable causes. There are a number of ways in which vision loss could increase mortality risk, for example by causing disability, depression and loss of independence. The positive outcome of this study is that people who had had cataract surgery previously were not at an increased risk of dying during the study follow-up. This could be partly because of a healthier lifestyle and health awareness among people undergoing cataract surgery and could provide evidence to support benefits from interventions to correct visual impairment in older people. Further research is warranted, but regular assessment of vision in older people is advisable, which may lead to early detection and treatment that could reduce the impact of visual impairment.