Findings compared with individual or no sensory impairment
FRIDAY, July 31, 2020 (HealthDay News) — Older adults with both hearing and visual impairments — dual sensory impairment (DSI) — are at a significantly increased risk for dementia, according to a study published online July 7 in Alzheimer’s & Dementia: Diagnosis, Assessment & Disease Monitoring.
Phillip H. Hwang, from University of Washington in Seattle, and colleagues evaluated the impact of DSI on dementia risk using data from 2,051 participants in the Gingko Evaluation of Memory Study. The risk for dementia associated with number of sensory impairments (none, one, or two) was estimated.
The researchers found that DSI was significantly associated with a higher risk for all-cause dementia (hazard ratio, 1.86) and Alzheimer disease (hazard ratio, 2.12). Visual impairment alone was independently associated with an increased risk for all-cause dementia (hazard ratio, 1.32).
“Because the public health burden of dementia will increase over the next three decades, evaluation of vision and hearing function in older adults may help identify patients at elevated risk of developing dementia,” the authors write.
Voice Disorders Linked to Elevated Risk for Incident Cognitive Decline 
Dementia, Stroke Risk Elevated for Those With Severe Mental Illness 
Virtual Reality-Based Digital Defocus Vision Training May Aid Myopia in Children 
Cortical Atrophy in Early-Onset Alzheimer Disease Signature Can Predict Progression to Dementia 
NOACs Linked to Slower Cognitive Decline in Patients With A-Fib, Alzheimer Disease 
Brain Abnormalities Identified in Children at Risk for Schizophrenia 
Exercise Link to Dementia Varies by Physical Activity Domain 
Real-World ARIA Incidence With Lecanemab Aligns With Clinical Trial Findings 
