Sensory impairments associated with cognitive impairment among older adults in China

A community-based, 10-year prospective cohort study

Bibliographic Data

ID19552578
AuthorsChao Yang (0000-0003-3623-4311, Beijing Luhe Hospital Affiliated to Capital Medical University), Ying Zhang (0000-0001-6214-2440, Capital Medical University), Huan Li (0000-0003-0910-1433, Beijing Luhe Hospital Affiliated to Capital Medical University), Xiao Ji (0000-0002-7043-5945), Ji Xiao (0000-0002-9724-2211, Capital Medical University), Huali Wang (0000-0002-3213-6493, Peking University), Xiaozhen Lv (0000-0003-0934-3168, Peking University)
Year2024
Volume14
Pages04175-04175
Publication date2024-10-04
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueJournal of Global Health (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 2047-2978 • E-ISSN: 2047-2986
PublisherInternational Society of Global Health (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.7189/jogh.14.04175
PMID39363845
OpenAlexW4403139509
LanguageEN
Citations received1
References cited42

Background: To address an existing gap in knowledge due to limited and inconclusive evidence, we aimed to investigate the association between sensory impairments and cognitive decline among older Chinese individuals. Methods: We retrieved data on 6862 adults aged ≥65 years that were collected through the Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Study (CLHLS), a nationwide, prospective, community-based elderly cohort study. Visual or hearing impairment in the CLHLS were identified through self-reported questionnaire. Sensory impairments were categorised as no sensory impairment, hearing impairment only, visual impairment only, and dual sensory impairment according to hearing and vision function. Cognitive impairment was defined as having a score <18 on the Chinese version of the Mini Mental State Examination. We used a Cox proportional hazard model to evaluate the relationship between sensory and cognitive impairments. Results: Among 6862 participants, 5.7% had dual sensory impairment, 7.4% had hearing impairment only, and had 17.2% visual impairment only. Compared with participants with no sensory impairment, those with hearing impairment only (adjusted hazard ratio (aHR) = 1.65; 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.41, 1.92), visual impairment only (aHR = 1.25; 95% CI = 1.11, 1.41), and dual sensory impairment (aHR = 1.47; 95% CI = 1.25, 1.74) were significantly associated with higher risk of cognitive impairment in the fully adjusted model. Conclusions: Our results show that having hearing impairment only, visual impairment only, and dual sensory impairment was significantly associated with a higher risk of cognitive impairment among Chinese older adults aged ≥65 years. This suggest a need for the timely identification and management of sensory impairments for the elderly to reduce dementia risk

China · Cognition · Cognitive impairment · Cohort · Cohort study · Dementia · Disease · Geography · Physical medicine and rehabilitation · Prospective cohort study · Psychiatry · Sensory processing · Sensory system · Dementia and Cognitive Impairment Research · Hearing Loss and Rehabilitation · Medicine · Neuroscience · Ophthalmology and Visual Impairment Studies · Psychology · Gerontology · Internal Medicine