title: Association of Co-Existing Impairments in Cognition and Self-Rated Vision and Hearing With Health Outcomes in Older Adults.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess the relationship of disability (activities of daily living (ADL) and instrumental ADL (IADL)), self-rated health (SRH), and 6-year mortality with co-existing impairments in vision (self-rated), hearing (self-rated) and/or cognition (Short Portable Mental Status Questionnaire) in older adults.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study sample was comprised of 3871 participants from the North Carolina Established Populations for Epidemiologic Studies of the Elderly study (NC EPESE).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Persons with all three impairments had increased odds of ADL/IADL disability, and low SRH. Participants with combined visual and cognitive impairments had increased odds of mortality. While sensory impairments were associated with poor SRH, cognitive impairment was not unless both sensory impairments were present.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Co-existent sensory and cognitive impairments were associated with higher risk of impaired functional status. Self-rated auditory impairment alone was not associated with higher odds of death, but mortality was linked to visual, and particularly cognitive impairment, alone or combined.
authors.affiliation: Center for the Study of Aging and Human Development, Duke University Durham, NC; Department of Medicine, Duke University, Durham, NC.
authors.forename: Phillip L
authors.initials: PL
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Center for the Study of Aging and Human Development, Duke University Durham, NC; Department of Medicine, Duke University, Durham, NC; Durham VA Medical Center, Geriatrics Research Education and Clinical Center, Durham, NC.
authors.forename: Harvey Jay
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Cohen
authors.affiliation: Center for the Study of Aging and Human Development, Duke University Durham, NC.
authors.forename: Gerda G
authors.initials: GG
authors.lastname: Fillenbaum
authors.affiliation: Center for the Study of Aging and Human Development, Duke University Durham, NC.
authors.forename: Bruce M
authors.initials: BM
authors.lastname: Burchett
authors.affiliation: Center for the Study of Aging and Human Development, Duke University Durham, NC; Department of Medicine, Duke University, Durham, NC; Department of Ophthalmology, Duke University, Durham, NC; Durham VA Medical Center, Geriatrics Research Education and Clinical Center, Durham, NC.
authors.forename: Heather E
authors.initials: HE
authors.lastname: Whitson
keywords: Sensory impairment; cognition; disability; health outcome; multi-morbidity