Myopia and cognitive dysfunction among elderly Chinese adults: a propensity score matching analysis
Hong-Peng Sun1, Hu Liu2, Yong Xu1
1Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Preventive and Translational Medicine for Geriatric Diseases, School of Public Health, Medical College of Soochow University, Suzhou, China.
Summary
Elderly adults with myopia have a higher prevalence of cognitive dysfunction. Propensity score matching (PSM) analysis revealed a reduced, yet still significant, association, highlighting myopia as a potential risk factor for cognitive decline in older populations.
Area of Science:
- Ophthalmology
- Geriatrics
- Epidemiology
Background:
- Myopia is a common refractive error.
- Cognitive dysfunction is a growing concern in aging populations.
- Understanding the link between vision and cognition is crucial for public health.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the association between myopia and cognitive dysfunction in elderly Chinese adults.
- To apply Propensity Score Matching (PSM) to address confounding factors in observational data.
- To investigate the causal relationship using a robust statistical approach.
Main Methods:
- A community-based cross-sectional study of Chinese adults aged 60 and older.
- Myopia defined as spherical equivalent ≤ -0.50 D; cognitive function assessed using the Abbreviated Mental Test (AMT).
- Propensity scores formulated using 13 confounders, with matching performed using a caliper of 0.01 logit.
Main Results:
- Analysis included 4123 elderly adults.
- Before matching, myopia showed an odds ratio (OR) of 1.98 for cognitive dysfunction (p < 0.001).
- After PSM, the OR was marginally significant at 1.31 (p = 0.05), indicating a reduced association.
Conclusions:
- Myopia is associated with a higher prevalence of cognitive dysfunction in older Chinese adults.
- The PSM approach effectively reduced covariate imbalance and provided a more refined estimate of the association.
- This study underscores the importance of vision health in maintaining cognitive function in the elderly.
