IMPORTANCE Impairments in vision or hearing are common and have been independently linked to higher risk of dementia in older adults. There is a limited understanding of the prevalence of concurrent functional vision and hearing impairment (dual sensory impairment) and its contribution to dementia risk. OBJECTIVE To examine the age-specific prevalence of functional dual sensory impairment among older adults, and to investigate the cross-sectional and 7-year longitudinal associations between functional dual sensory impairment and dementia. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS This cohort study of 7562 older adults used data from the US National Health and Aging Trends Study (NHATS), a nationally representative cohort study of community-dwelling, Medicare beneficiaries aged 65 years and older in the US. Participants in the study with complete data on hearing, vision, and dementia were included in analysis. Data were

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IMPORTANCE Psychological distress affects health and health care utilization. Hearing loss (HL) is highly prevalent and undertreated, and it may be a potentially modifiable risk factor for psychological distress. OBJECTIVE To investigate the association between HL, psychological distress, and mental health care utilization among adults in the United States. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS This cross-sectional study included 25 665 individuals aged 18 years and older who participated in the 2017 National Health Interview Survey, a homebased nationally representative cross-sectional survey of noninstitutionalized US adults conducted by trained interviewers. EXPOSURES Self-reported hearing and hearing aid use. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES Kessler psychological distress scale (scores Ն5 indicating moderate distress), self-reported use of medication to treat depression or anxiety symptoms, and use of mental health services in the past year. RESULTS A total of 25 665 adults (mean [SD] age 47.0 [18.1] years, 51.7% [95% CI, 51.0%-52.5%] women, weighted to be representative of the US adult population) were included in the analysis.

Key Points Question What are the associations between specific adolescent cognitive abilities and Alzheimer disease and related disorders in later life? Findings In this cohort study of 43 014 men and 42 749 women, lower adolescent memory for words, in women, and lower mechanical reasoning, in men, were associated with higher odds of Alzheimer disease and related disorders in later life. Meaning Low performance on certain specific measures of cognitive ability may indicate future risk of Alzheimer disease and related disorders as early as adolescence.