October 26, 2009 
Non-correctable sight problems lead to an increased risk of death among people aged 49-74 years, according to a new study…
Researchers in Australia reported that a higher risk of dying could be associated to non-correctable vision impairment, with the connection being more prominent in individuals under 75-years-old.
The study, which was led by Michael Karpa at the Westmead Millennium Institute in Sydney, also revealed that people with non-correctable vision were more likely to be females, aged 75 and over, and underweight.
Scientists analysed data from a previous ‘Blue Mountains Eye Study’ which examined visual impairment in 3,654 participants aged 49 and over between 1992-1994. The study then revisited participants five and ten years later to evaluate the relationship between vision impairment and the risk of death as they aged.
The report’s authors wrote: “In conclusion, the study reaffirms that visual impairment is associated with an increased risk of all-cause mortality. Disability in walking may represent an important indirect pathway to mortality for persons with visual impairment, and adjusting for this factor in statistical analysis may over adjust for the indirect effect of visual impairment on mortality risk. The impact of visual impairment on mortality may in fact be greater than that reported from previous studies that have used traditional statistical models.”
The report was published in the October issue of Archives of Ophthalmology.
Taken from: www.optometry.co.uk