Biological Risk of Older Adults with Visual Impairments

Overview

Journal J Nutr Health Aging

Specialties Geriatrics
Nutritional Sciences

Date 2011 Mar 26

PMID 21437562

Citations 6

Authors

B A Steinman

S Vasunilashorn

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Objectives: To investigate whether biological markers of health differ among older adults with visual impairment compared to those with normal vision.

Design: We use data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (1999 - 2006) to investigate clinically defined at-risk levels for 10 biological markers.

Setting: Survey participants were non-institutionalized.

Participants: Nationally representative (U.S.) sample of older adults age 65 and older, categorized as having blindness (20/200 or worse), low vision (20/40 to 20/100) or normal vision (better than 20/40).

Intervention: Separate binary logistic regressions (one for each biomarker, with two at-risk cut points for BMI: obese and underweight) were computed to determine the odds of having at-risk levels of each biomarker.

Measurements: Biomarkers included: systolic and diastolic blood pressure, high-density lipoprotein, low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, total cholesterol, glycated hemoglobin, body mass index (BMI), fasting triglycerides, C-reactive protein, and plasma homocysteine.

Results: Older adults who were blind were more likely to have high-risk levels of LDL cholesterol, homocysteine, and to be underweight (BMI>18.5). Similarly, older adults with LV were more likely to have high-risk levels of homocysteine compared to older adults with normal vision.

Conclusion: As several of the high-risk biomarkers associated with visual impairment were diet-related, our results suggest the importance of nutrition and diet programs aimed towards educating older people who are visually impaired.

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