Trends in Vision and Hearing Among Older Americans

Desai, Mayur M.; Pratt, Laura A.; Lentzner, Harold R.; Robinson, Kristen

doi:10.1037/e620682007-001

Cited by 88 publications

(103 citation statements)

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“…By age 65, estimates say, as much as 40% of the population has hearing impairment (Cruickshanks et al, 1998;Gates et al, 1990). The percentage continues to grow with increased age, peaking at 60-80% of people over the age of 85 (Gates et al 1990;Desai et al, 2001). One of the challenges for researchers and clinicians is in detecting pure ARHL, since it is often combined with accumulated noise damage and other accumulated otologic challenges in patients whose lives have spanned five to eight decades.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Age-related hearing loss in the Fischer 344/NHsd rat substrain

et al. 2008

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Studies of the F344 rat have shown a variety of age-related auditory anatomy and physiology changes. The current study was undertaken to clarify the ARHL in the F344 rat, by examining the auditory pathway of the F344/NHsd substrain that is distributed by Harlan Laboratories for research in the United States. The F344/NHsd rat begins to lose its hearing at about 12 months, and by 24 months, there are 50-60 dB auditory brainstem response threshold shifts at 20 and 40 kHz and 20 dB losses at 5-10 kHz. Distortion product otoacoustic emissions (DPOAE) amplitudes at 1.8 to 12 kHz stimuli were depressed in the older (18-24 months) rats. Amplitude input-output functions of the compound action potential (CAP) were also depressed across frequency. The endocochlear potential (EP) was 90-100 mV in the 3 month old rats. All but one of the 24 month old rats' EPs were in the +75-85 mV range. Tympanometry revealed no differences in middle ear function between the young and older rats. Collectively, these findings suggest damage to the outer hair cells, but anatomical examination of the outer hair cells revealed a relative lack of cell loss compared to the magnitude of the hearing and DPOAE loss.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Age-related hearing loss in the Fischer 344/NHsd rat substrain

et al. 2008

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“…Approximately 92% of persons aged 70 and older require corrective lenses, and 2% are legally blind without correction. 1 Additionally, 14% of persons aged 70 to 74 and 32% of persons aged 85 and older report trouble seeing even while wearing glasses. 1 Visual impairment likely reflects biological aging and disease processes, and its health effect is substantial.…”

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confidence: 99%

Visual Acuity, Contrast Sensitivity, and Mortality in Older Women: Study of Osteoporotic Fractures

Pedula

Coleman

Hillier

et al. 2006

J American Geriatrics Society

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OBJECTIVES:To determine whether poorer visual acuity and contrast sensitivity are independent risk factors for all-cause and traumatic mortality in older women. DESIGN: Twelve-year prospective cohort study (1986)(1987)(1988)(1989)(1990)(1991)(1992)(1993)(1994)(1995)(1996)(1997)(1998)(1999)(2000)(2001)(2002)(2003). SETTING: Four U.S. clinical centers. PARTICIPANTS: Nine thousand seven hundred four postmenopausal white women aged 65 and older. MEASUREMENTS: Habitually corrected binocular visual acuity and low-and high-frequency contrast sensitivity were measured at baseline using a standard protocol. A study physician adjudicated the primary cause of death from death certificates and medical record review. RESULTS: During an average of 12.2 years of followup, 3,427 women died (35%), 72 (0.7%) from traumatic events. In multivariate models adjusted for age, chronic medical problems, and smoking, all-cause mortality risk was 19% greater for persons in the worst quartile of visual acuity than for those in the best (hazard ratio (HR) 5 1.19, P 5.008) and 39% greater for persons with the worst contrast sensitivity (HR 5 1.39, Po.001) than for those with the best. Traumatic mortality risk was 2.4 times greater for women with the worst contrast sensitivity than for those with the best (HR 5 2.44, P 5.03). CONCLUSION: Poorer visual acuity and contrast sensitivity are associated with greater risk of traumatic and allcause mortality in older women, even after controlling for demographic and clinical characteristics. Although further research is necessary to determine how treating reversible causes of visual impairment or improving current refraction affects mortality in older women, clinical detection and follow-up of these visual impairments holds promise for identifying those who are at risk of mortality from other systemic conditions. J Am Geriatr Soc 54:1871-1877, 2006. Key words: mortality; visual acuity; contrast sensitivity V isual impairment is one of the most common conditions affecting older individuals. Approximately 92% of persons aged 70 and older require corrective lenses, and 2% are legally blind without correction.1 Additionally, 14% of persons aged 70 to 74 and 32% of persons aged 85 and older report trouble seeing even while wearing glasses. 1Visual impairment likely reflects biological aging and disease processes, and its health effect is substantial. Impaired vision increases the risk of falls, hip fractures, 2-8 and decline in functional status. [9][10][11][12][13] Although previous studies have demonstrated a relationship between sensory impairment and quality of life, they conflict on its relationship with mortality.14-24 Cross-sectional design, small study sample, self-reported visual impairment, and limited adjustment for the independent influence of other chronic medical conditions have limited prior studies.It was hypothesized that any association between visual impairment and all-cause mortality is likely a consequence of other comorbidities related to vision and mortality. It was also hypothesize...

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“…Finally, no change in physical functional limitations was found for the 55-84-year age group during the period 1992-1998 in the Netherlands (43), as well as no change in the level of blindness or hearing impairments among older Americans between 1984 and 1995 (44).…”

Section: Contradictory Trends In Disability and Functioningmentioning

confidence: 99%

Looking forward to a general theory on population aging

2006

GEEG

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The main theories on population aging based on recent data on human longevity, life expectancy, morbidity changes, disability trends, and mortality decrease are presented and discussed within their own geographic, cultural, socioeconomic, and medical contexts. The complex interactions between all these components do not facilitate trend forecasting of aging population (healthy aging versus disability pandemic). In the context of population aging, four elements were introduced with their implications: 1) an increase in the survival rates of sick persons, which would explain the expansion of morbidity, 2) a control of the progression of chronic diseases, which would explain a subtle equilibrium between the decrease in mortality and the increase in disability, 3) an improvement of the health status and health behaviors of new cohorts of elderly people, which would explain the compression of morbidity, and eventually 4) an emergence of very old and frail populations, which would explain a new expansion of morbidity. Obviously, all these elements coexist today, and future trend scenarios-expansion or compression of disability-depend on their respective weights leading to the need of elaborating ''a general theory on population aging.'' This theory has to be based on a world harmonization of functional decline measurements and a periodic ''International Aging Survey'' to monitor global aging through a sample of carefully selected countries.

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Trends in Vision and Hearing Among Older Americans

Abstract: H i g h l i g h t s l Nineteen percent of persons 70 years of age and older had visual impairments. Visual impairments, including blindness, increased with age; the level of blindness among older Americans has remained constant between 1984 and 1995.

Cited by 88 publications

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Age-related hearing loss in the Fischer 344/NHsd rat substrain

Age-related hearing loss in the Fischer 344/NHsd rat substrain

Visual Acuity, Contrast Sensitivity, and Mortality in Older Women: Study of Osteoporotic Fractures

Looking forward to a general theory on population aging

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