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The Association between Frailty and Uncorrected Refractive Error in Older Adults
Moon Jeong Lee1, Varshini Varadaraj1, Jing Tian2
1Wilmer Eye Institute, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.
Ophthalmic Epidemiology
|January 19, 2020
Summary
Uncorrected refractive error (URE) in older adults is linked to a higher likelihood of frailty. This study found that even after accounting for other factors, vision impairment due to URE significantly increases frailty risk.
Area of Science:
- Gerontology
- Ophthalmology
- Public Health
Background:
- Uncorrected refractive error (URE) is a primary cause of vision impairment in older adults, associated with negative health outcomes.
- Frailty is a significant geriatric syndrome, increasing vulnerability to adverse health events.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between uncorrected refractive error and physical frailty in older adults.
- To determine if URE is an independent risk factor for frailty in this population.
Main Methods:
- Cross-sectional analysis of National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) data (1999-2006) for participants aged 60 and older.
- URE defined as visual acuity <6/12 correctable with lenses; frailty assessed using a modified 4- and 5-item physical frailty phenotype.
- Propensity score adjustment used to control for confounders, including age.
Main Results:
- 6% of the 5,265 participants had URE.
- Individuals with URE were significantly more likely to be prefrail (OR=1.4) and frail (OR=3.2) based on the 4-item phenotype, after propensity score adjustment.
- Using the 5-item phenotype, URE was associated with increased odds of frailty (OR=3.0), but not prefrailty.
Conclusions:
- Older adults with uncorrected refractive error exhibit a higher prevalence of frailty.
- This association persists even after rigorous statistical control for potential confounding factors, suggesting URE may contribute to frailty development.
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