The Prognostic Value of Sensory Impairment in Older Persons

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Abstract
OBJECTIVES To determine the relationships between visual and hearing impairment and subsequent functional dependence and mortality among community‐dwelling older persons. DESIGN A Prospective, cohort study. SETTING Community‐based. PARTICIPANTS A total of 5444 men and women aged 55 to 74 years at baseline. MEASUREMENTS Self‐reported and measured visual impairment, self‐reported and measured hearing impairment, self‐reported and measured combined sensory impairment, 10‐year mortality, and dependency in activities of daily living (ADL), instrumental ADL (IADL), and Rosow‐Breslau (RB) function. RESULTS In multiply‐adjusted models, adjusting for length of follow‐up, socio‐demographic characteristics, and chronic conditions, only measured visual impairment was predictive of mortality. Measured visual impairment was also predictive of 10‐year ADL and IADL dependence; measured hearing impairment was predictive of RB dependence. Self‐reported visual impairment predicted functional impairment on all scales at 10 years, although self‐reported hearing impairment predicted only subsequent RB dependence. Measured combined impairment was associated with the highest risk of 10‐year functional dependence. CONCLUSIONS Sensory impairment is predictive of subsequent functional impairment in older persons.