High prevalence of vision loss and cognitive impairment among elderly in Hyderabad: LVPEI study

The paper also found that those older persons who had worse vision were more likely to be cognitively impaired.

Hyderabad: In a first-of-its-kind study taken up in Hyderabad, researchers have indicated high prevalence of cognitive impairment and vision loss among the elderly population. They found that 1 out of 4 elderly were living with cognitive impairment, which meant decline in memory and thinking ability.

In fact, those with vision loss had a four times chance of cognitive impairment when compared to those without vision loss, the paper on the study of senior citizens published in British Medical Journal (BMJ) on July 22, by L V Prasad Eye Institute (LVPEI), said.

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The paper also found that those older persons who had worse vision were more likely to be cognitively impaired. Similarly, cognitive impairment affected one out of every four individuals with near vision impairment.

The paper/study is part of Hyderabad Ocular Morbidity in the Elderly Study (HOMES), which is led by Dr Srinivas Marmamula, scientist and public health researcher at LVPEI, which covered over 1,500 elderly participants above 60 years of age and living in care homes for the aged.

Indicating that addressing vision loss may be key to arresting dementia and other forms of cognitive decline in elderly population, the paper strives to build a case for screening senior citizens for vision and cognitive loss. A pair of glasses or safe cataract surgery could help them live independent in their sunset years.

“The results exhibit a strong association between vision loss and cognitive loss. While more and more elderly are living in homes for aged, we have very little evidence-based policy interventions that can help improve their lives and conserve their quality of life,” says Dr. Srinivas Marmamula, Scientist and public health researcher at LVPEI.

The LVPEI paper said that close to 30 per cent of elderly with mild vision impairment had cognitive impairment. This percentage steadily increases as vision impairment worsens.

Vital findings:

• High prevalence of memory and thinking impairment along with vision loss in elderly

• 1 in 4 senior citizens living with cognitive impairment

• Those with vision loss have 4 times chance of cognitive impairment to those without vision loss

• Diabetes reported by 29.1 percent and hypertension reported by 59.7 percent of participants

• 47. 6 percent of the participants has vision impairment

• Overall prevalence of cognitive impairment was 26.9 percent