Likelihood Of Dementia 1.5 Times Higher Among Older Adults With Vision & Hearing Impairment

The likelihood of developing dementia is 1.5 times higher among older adults (aged 65 and older) with vision and hearing impairment ("dual sensory impairment"), compared to older adults with no sensory impairment. For older adults with vision impairment only, the likelihood of developing dementia is 1.4 times higher; and for older adults with hearing impairment only, the likelihood is nearly 1.1 times higher over seven years.

Of 7,562 older adults, about 3.1% reported dual sensory impairment overall. Another 5.4% reported functional vision impairment only, and 18.9% reported functional hearing impairment only.

These findings . . .