Vision impairment, vision correction, and cognitive decline among middle-aged and older Chinese: results from the China health and retirement longitudinal study

Abstract

Objectives

To investigate the associations between vision impairment (VI), vision correction (VC), and cognitive function.

Method

We included 20,677 participants aged ≥45 years from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (2011–2015). Participants were grouped into no VI, distance VI (DVI) only, near VI (NVI) only, or both distance and near VI (DNVI), and VI(+)/VC(−), VI(+)/VC(+), VI(−)/VC(−), or VI(−)/VC(+) further at baseline. Cognitive function at baseline and subsequently every two years was applied as a dependent variable in a generalized estimating equation model.

Results

DVI only, NVI only, and DNVI had significantly worse cognitive function over time than no VI (all p < .05). DNVI had significantly worse cognitive function over time than DVI only and NVI only (all p < .001). VI(+)/VC(+), VI(−)/VC(−), and VI(−)/VC(+) had significantly better cognitive function over time than VI(+)/VC(−) (all p < .05). VI(−)/VC(+) had significantly better cognitive function over time than VI(+)/VC(+) and VI(−)/VC(−) (all p < .05).

Conclusion

Cognitive function was worse in middle-aged and older Chinese with VI, especially in those with DNVI. VC was associated with better cognitive function over time regardless of the status of vision.

Keywords:

• Vision impairment
• vision correction
• cognitive function

Acknowledgement

We thank CHARLS research and field team for collecting the data.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China (81703304) and Peking University Medicine Seed Fund for Interdisciplinary Research (BMU2018MX003).