Skip to main content
PMC home page
Transactions of the American Ophthalmological Society logoLink to Transactions of the American Ophthalmological Society
. 2000;98:91–99.

Vision impairment predicts five-year mortality.

H R Taylor 1, C A McCarty 1, M B Nanjan 1
PMCID: PMC1298215  PMID: 11190044

Abstract

PURPOSE: To describe predictors of mortality in the 5-year follow-up of the Melbourne Visual Impairment Project (VIP) cohort. METHODS: The Melbourne VIP was a population-based study of the distribution and determinants of age-related eye disease in a cluster random sample of Melbourne residents aged 40 years and older. Baseline examinations were conducted between 1992 and 1994. In 1997, 5-year follow-up examinations of the original cohort commenced. Causes of death were obtained from the National Death Index for all reported deaths. RESULTS: Of the original 3,271 participants, 231 (7.1%) were reported to have died in the intervening 5 years. Of the remaining 3,040 participants eligible to return for follow-up examinations, 2,594 (85% of eligible) did participate, 51 (2%) had moved interstate or overseas, 83 (3%) could not be traced, and 312 (10%) refused to participate. Best corrected visual acuity < 6/12 and cortical cataract were associated with a significantly increased risk of mortality, as were increasing age, male sex, increased duration of cigarette smoking, increased duration of hypertension, and arthritis. CONCLUSIONS: Even mild visual impairment increases the risk of death more than twofold.

Full text

PDF
91

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. BELLOC N. B. Expectation of life for persons with glaucoma. J Chronic Dis. 1963 Feb;16:163–171. doi: 10.1016/0021-9681(63)90093-6. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Benson W. H., Farber M. E., Caplan R. J. Increased mortality rates after cataract surgery. A statistical analysis. Ophthalmology. 1988 Sep;95(9):1288–1292. doi: 10.1016/s0161-6420(88)33019-8. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Benson W. H., Farber M. E., Caplan R. J. Increased mortality rates after cataract surgery. A statistical analysis. Ophthalmology. 1988 Sep;95(9):1288–1292. doi: 10.1016/s0161-6420(88)33019-8. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Bird A. C., Bressler N. M., Bressler S. B., Chisholm I. H., Coscas G., Davis M. D., de Jong P. T., Klaver C. C., Klein B. E., Klein R. An international classification and grading system for age-related maculopathy and age-related macular degeneration. The International ARM Epidemiological Study Group. Surv Ophthalmol. 1995 Mar-Apr;39(5):367–374. doi: 10.1016/s0039-6257(05)80092-x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Chiang Y. P., Javitt J., Metrick S. Health insurance coverage and medical care utilization among working-age Americans with visual impairment. Ophthalmic Epidemiol. 1994 Mar;1(1):41–52. doi: 10.3109/09286589409071444. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Cohen D. L., Neil H. A., Sparrow J., Thorogood M., Mann J. I. Lens opacity and mortality in diabetes. Diabet Med. 1990 Aug;7(7):615–617. doi: 10.1111/j.1464-5491.1990.tb01459.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Heiba I. M., Elston R. C., Klein B. E., Klein R. Evidence for a major gene for cortical cataract. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 1995 Jan;36(1):227–235. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Heiba I. M., Elston R. C., Klein B. E., Klein R. Genetic etiology of nuclear cataract: evidence for a major gene. Am J Med Genet. 1993 Dec 1;47(8):1208–1214. doi: 10.1002/ajmg.1320470816. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Hejtmancik J. F. The genetics of cataract: our vision becomes clearer. Am J Hum Genet. 1998 Mar;62(3):520–525. doi: 10.1086/301774. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Hiller R., Podgor M. J., Sperduto R. D., Wilson P. W., Chew E. Y., D'Agostino R. B. High intraocular pressure and survival: the Framingham Studies. Am J Ophthalmol. 1999 Oct;128(4):440–445. doi: 10.1016/s0002-9394(99)00187-7. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Hirsch R. P., Schwartz B. Increased mortality among elderly patients undergoing cataract extraction. Arch Ophthalmol. 1983 Jul;101(7):1034–1037. doi: 10.1001/archopht.1983.01040020036004. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Hirsch R. P., Schwartz B. Increased mortality among elderly patients undergoing cataract extraction. Arch Ophthalmol. 1983 Jul;101(7):1034–1037. doi: 10.1001/archopht.1983.01040020036004. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Ivers R. Q., Mitchell P., Cumming R. G. Sensory impairment and driving: the Blue Mountains Eye Study. Am J Public Health. 1999 Jan;89(1):85–87. doi: 10.2105/ajph.89.1.85. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Klein B. E., Klein R., Lee K. E., Cruickshanks K. J. Performance-based and self-assessed measures of visual function as related to history of falls, hip fractures, and measured gait time. The Beaver Dam Eye Study. Ophthalmology. 1998 Jan;105(1):160–164. doi: 10.1016/s0161-6420(98)91911-x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Klein B. E., Klein R., Lee K. E., Cruickshanks K. J. Performance-based and self-assessed measures of visual function as related to history of falls, hip fractures, and measured gait time. The Beaver Dam Eye Study. Ophthalmology. 1998 Jan;105(1):160–164. doi: 10.1016/s0161-6420(98)91911-x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Klein R., Klein B. E., Linton K. L., De Mets D. L. The Beaver Dam Eye Study: visual acuity. Ophthalmology. 1991 Aug;98(8):1310–1315. doi: 10.1016/s0161-6420(91)32137-7. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. Klein R., Klein B. E., Moss S. E. Age-related eye disease and survival. The Beaver Dam Eye Study. Arch Ophthalmol. 1995 Mar;113(3):333–339. doi: 10.1001/archopht.1995.01100030089026. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. Klein R., Klein B. E., Moss S. E. Age-related eye disease and survival. The Beaver Dam Eye Study. Arch Ophthalmol. 1995 Mar;113(3):333–339. doi: 10.1001/archopht.1995.01100030089026. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  19. Klein R., Moss S. E., Klein B. E., DeMets D. L. Relation of ocular and systemic factors to survival in diabetes. Arch Intern Med. 1989 Feb;149(2):266–272. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  20. Livingston P. M., Carson C. A., Stanislavsky Y. L., Lee S. E., Guest C. S., Taylor H. R. Methods for a population-based study of eye disease: the Melbourne Visual Impairment Project. Ophthalmic Epidemiol. 1994 Dec;1(3):139–148. doi: 10.3109/09286589409047222. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  21. Livingston P. M., Lee S. E., McCarty C. A., Taylor H. R. A comparison of participants with non-participants in a population-based epidemiologic study: the Melbourne Visual Impairment Project. Ophthalmic Epidemiol. 1997 Jun;4(2):73–81. doi: 10.3109/09286589709057099. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  22. McCarty C. A., Mukesh B. N., Fu C. L., Taylor H. R. The epidemiology of cataract in Australia. Am J Ophthalmol. 1999 Oct;128(4):446–465. doi: 10.1016/s0002-9394(99)00218-4. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  23. Meddings D. R., Marion S. A., Barer M. L., Evans R. G., Green B., Hertzman C., Kazanjian A., McGrail K. M., Sheps S. B. Mortality rates after cataract extraction. Epidemiology. 1999 May;10(3):288–293. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  24. Neil A., Hawkins M., Potok M., Thorogood M., Cohen D., Mann J. A prospective population-based study of microalbuminuria as a predictor of mortality in NIDDM. Diabetes Care. 1993 Jul;16(7):996–1003. doi: 10.2337/diacare.16.7.996. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  25. Orr P., Barrón Y., Schein O. D., Rubin G. S., West S. K. Eye care utilization by older Americans: the SEE Project. Salisbury Eye Evaluation. Ophthalmology. 1999 May;106(5):904–909. doi: 10.1016/s0161-6420(99)00508-4. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  26. Podgor M. J., Cassel G. H., Kannel W. B. Lens changes and survival in a population-based study. N Engl J Med. 1985 Dec 5;313(23):1438–1444. doi: 10.1056/NEJM198512053132303. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  27. Podgor M. J., Cassel G. H., Kannel W. B. Lens changes and survival in a population-based study. N Engl J Med. 1985 Dec 5;313(23):1438–1444. doi: 10.1056/NEJM198512053132303. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  28. Power C., Rodgers B., Hope S. U-shaped relation for alcohol consumption and health in early adulthood and implications for mortality. Lancet. 1998 Sep 12;352(9131):877–877. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(98)23937-7. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  29. Rogot E., Goldberg I. D., Goldstein H. Survivorship and causes of death among the blind. J Chronic Dis. 1966 Feb;19(2):179–197. doi: 10.1016/0021-9681(66)90048-8. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  30. Rogot E., Goldberg I. D., Goldstein H. Survivorship and causes of death among the blind. J Chronic Dis. 1966 Feb;19(2):179–197. doi: 10.1016/0021-9681(66)90048-8. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  31. Solberg Y., Rosner M., Belkin M. The association between cigarette smoking and ocular diseases. Surv Ophthalmol. 1998 May-Jun;42(6):535–547. doi: 10.1016/s0039-6257(98)00002-2. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  32. Street D. A., Javitt J. C. National five-year mortality after inpatient cataract extraction. Am J Ophthalmol. 1992 Mar 15;113(3):263–268. doi: 10.1016/s0002-9394(14)71577-6. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  33. Street D. A., Javitt J. C. National five-year mortality after inpatient cataract extraction. Am J Ophthalmol. 1992 Mar 15;113(3):263–268. doi: 10.1016/s0002-9394(14)71577-6. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  34. Thompson J. R., Sparrow J. M., Gibson J. M., Rosenthal A. R. Cataract and survival in an elderly nondiabetic population. Arch Ophthalmol. 1993 May;111(5):675–679. doi: 10.1001/archopht.1993.01090050109039. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  35. Thompson J. R., Sparrow J. M., Gibson J. M., Rosenthal A. R. Cataract and survival in an elderly nondiabetic population. Arch Ophthalmol. 1993 May;111(5):675–679. doi: 10.1001/archopht.1993.01090050109039. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  36. Wang J. J., Mitchell P., Smith W., Cumming R. G., Attebo K. Impact of visual impairment on use of community support services by elderly persons: the Blue Mountains Eye Study. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 1999 Jan;40(1):12–19. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  37. Wensor M. D., McCarty C. A., Stanislavsky Y. L., Livingston P. M., Taylor H. R. The prevalence of glaucoma in the Melbourne Visual Impairment Project. Ophthalmology. 1998 Apr;105(4):733–739. doi: 10.1016/S0161-6420(98)94031-3. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Transactions of the American Ophthalmological Society are provided here courtesy of American Ophthalmological Society

RESOURCES