The Associations of Sensory Impairment With 10-Year Risk of Dementia and Alzheimer's Disease: The Health and Retirement Study, 2010-2020

Kun Li, Department of Health Policy and Management, Milken Institute School of Public Health, George Washington University, Washington, DC, USA.
Rahul Ghosal, Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Arnold School of Public Health, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, USA.
Donglan Zhang, Department of Foundations of Medicine, New York University Long Island School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA.
Yike Li, Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA.
Matthew C. Lohman, Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Arnold School of Public Health, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, USA.
Monique J. Brown, Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Arnold School of Public Health, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, USA.
Anwar T. Merchant, Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Arnold School of Public Health, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, USA.
Chih-Hsiang Yang, Office for the Study of Aging, Arnold School of Public Health, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, USA.
Jean Neils-Strunjas, Office for the Study of Aging, Arnold School of Public Health, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, USA.
Daniela B. Friedman, Office for the Study of Aging, Arnold School of Public Health, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, USA.
Jingkai Wei, Department of Family and Community Medicine, McGovern Medical School, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, USA.

Document Type

Journal Article

Publication Date

8-26-2024

Journal

Journal of geriatric psychiatry and neurology

DOI

10.1177/08919887241275042

Keywords

Alzheimer’s disease; aging; dementia; sensory impairment

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Studies have examined the association between dual sensory impairment and late-life cognitive outcomes in the U.S with inconsistent findings. OBJECTIVE: To examine the associations between sensory impairment and 10-year risk of dementia or Alzheimer's disease among U.S. adults aged ≥ 50. METHODS: A prospective cohort study based on the Health and Retirement Study from 2010 to 2020. Individuals aged ≥ 50 years without self-reported dementia and Alzheimer's disease in 2010 were included in the analysis. Self-reported visual and hearing impairments were measures in 2010. Main failure events included self-reported incident dementia and Alzheimer's disease over a 10-year follow-up period. Participants were categorized as having no visual or hearing impairment, visual impairment only, hearing impairment only, and dual sensory impairment. Fine-Gray competing risk regression model was applied to estimate the associations of sensory impairment with incident dementia and Alzheimer's disease, adjusted for demographic characteristics, health behaviors, and health conditions at baseline. RESULTS: Of 20,248 identified individuals, 14.6% had visual impairment only, 11.2% had hearing impairment only, and 9.1% had dual impairment at baseline. After adjusting for all covariates, dual sensory impairment was associated with higher risk of dementia (HR = 1.46, 95% CI: 1.23-1.73) and Alzheimer's disease (HR = 1.35, 95% CI: 1.03-1.76). Visual impairment only was also associated with incident dementia and Alzheimer's disease among individuals <65 years. CONCLUSION: Older adults in the U.S. with visual and hearing impairments simultaneously had a particularly greater risk of dementia and Alzheimer's disease, indicating the needs of targeted screening for timely treatment and further prevention of dementia and Alzheimer's disease.

Department

Public Health Student Works

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