Distance vision impairment independently associated with accelerated rate of memory decline
Distance vision impairment was independently associated with an accelerated rate of memory decline in participants from China and the United States, according to a study.
In this cohort study, 8315 participants aged 50-94 years from China and 8939 participants aged 50-95 years from the United States were followed for up to 4 years.
Participants from China had a 0.16-point decrease in composite memory during 4-year follow-up while participants from the United States had a 0.51-point decrease during 3.9 months follow-up.
Distance vision impairment was inversely associated with an annual change in composite memory (β (95% CI): -0.07 (-0.12, -0.01)) and immediate memory (-0.04 (-0.07, -0.02)) in participants from China; the values for participants from America were -0.19 (-0.34, -0.05) and -0.07 (-0.13, -0.00), respectively.
Near vision impairment was inversely associated with an annual change in delayed memory in patients from China whereas it was associated with an annual change in composite memory, immediate memory, and delayed memory in patients from the United States.
In participants from the United States, an association between distance vision impairment and memory decline was seen in those aged <65 years.
No significant association with memory decline and cataract surgery or glaucoma was found in either group.
Reference
Shang X, Zhu Z, Wang W, et al. Associations of vision impairment and eye diseases with memory decline over four years in China and the United States. Am J Ophthalmol. 2021; DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ajo.2021.03.021