Effect of Visual Impairment on Physical and Cognitive Function in Old Age: Findings of a Population-Based Prospective Cohort Study in Germany.
To examine how visual impairment affects physical and cognitive function in old age.



A longitudinal population-based prospective cohort study.



General practitioner offices at six study centers in Germany. They were observed every 1.5 years over four waves.



Individuals aged 77-101 at follow-up Wave 2 (N = 2,394).



Physical and cognitive function were assessed using an adapted scale that had been previously developed, and visual impairment was rated on a Likert scale (none, mild, severe or profound).



Adjusting for sociodemographic factors and comorbidity, linear fixed-effects regression showed that the onset of severe visual impairment was associated with a decline in physical function score in the total sample (β = -0.15, P = .01) and in women (β = -.15, P = .03). Moreover, the onset of severe visual impairment was associated with decline in cognitive function score in the total sample (β = -0.38, P < .001) and in women (β = -0.38, P < .001) and men (β = -0.37, P = .001).



Visual impairment affects physical and cognitive function in old age. Interventional strategies to postpone visual impairment may contribute to maintaining physical and cognitive function.
Department of Health Economics and Health Services Research, Hamburg Center for Health Economics, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany.
André
A
Hajek
Department of Health Economics and Health Services Research, Hamburg Center for Health Economics, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany.
Christian
C
Brettschneider
Department of Primary Medical Care, Center for Psychosocial Medicine, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany.
Dagmar
D
Lühmann
Department of Primary Medical Care, Center for Psychosocial Medicine, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany.
Marion
M
Eisele
Institute of General Practice, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany.
Silke
S
Mamone
Institute of General Practice, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany.
Birgitt
B
Wiese
Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty, Mannheim/Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany.
Siegfried
S
Weyerer
Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty, Mannheim/Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany.
Jochen
J
Werle
Institute of General Practice, Medical Faculty, Heinrich-Heine-University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany.
Michael
M
Pentzek
Institute of General Practice, Medical Faculty, Heinrich-Heine-University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany.
Angela
A
Fuchs
Institute of Social Medicine, Occupational Health and Public Health, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany.
Steffi G
SG
Riedel-Heller
Institute of Social Medicine, Occupational Health and Public Health, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany.
Tobias
T
Luck
Department of Psychiatry, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany.
Horst
H
Bickel
Department of Psychiatry, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany.
Dagmar
D
Weeg
Department of Psychiatry, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany.
Alexander
A
Koppara
Department of Psychiatry, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany.|German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, Bonn, Germany.
Michael
M
Wagner
Department of Primary Medical Care, Center for Psychosocial Medicine, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany.
Martin
M
Scherer
Department of Psychiatry, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany.|German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, Bonn, Germany.
Wolfgang
W
Maier
Department of Health Economics and Health Services Research, Hamburg Center for Health Economics, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany.
Hans-Helmut
HH
König
D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D060825:Cognitive Dysfunction / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D015577:Geriatric Assessment; D005858:Germany / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D011446:Prospective Studies; D014786:Vision Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology*
cognitive function; longitudinal study; older people; physical function; visual impairment