Abstract
Purpose :
To provide nationally-representative epidemiological data on falls and fall-related outcomes among older Americans with ocular disease.
Methods :
Cross-sectional analysis of National Health and Aging Trends Study (NHATS) data from 2011 to 2017. Observations were obtained from annual interviews of participants. Ocular disease, falls, and fall-related injuries were identified through International Classification of Diseases (ICD) codes. Diagnoses of ocular disease included age-related macular degeneration (AMD), diabetic eye disease, retinal vascular occlusions, cataract, corneal disease, glaucoma, disorders of refraction and accommodation, and visual disturbance and blindness. Risk factors for falls and fall-related outcomes were identified through multivariable analysis.
Results :
A total of 24,479 observations were contributed by 7,423 participants with an average number of 3.3 observations per person. There were 9,900 (40.4%) observations from participants with a diagnosis of ocular disease. Of 7,423 participants, 1,379 (18.6%) had >1 fall in the past year, 1,023 (13.8%) had any fall in the past month, 2,578 (34.7%) reported fear of falling (FoF), 1,047 (14.1%) reported FoF limiting activity, and 1,051 (14.2%) suffered fall-related injuries. Risk factors associated with falls and fall-related outcomes included being older, white, requiring a proxy correspondent, and having a higher body mass index or medical comorbidities. AMD was associated with fall-related injuries (OR 1.33; 95% CI, 1.08-1.63, p=0.007). Diabetic eye disease was associated with >1 fall in the past year (OR 1.62; 95% CI, 1.04-2.51, p=0.031), FoF (OR 1.77; 95% CI, 1.28-2.44, p=0.001), FoF limiting activity (OR 1.82; 95% CI, 1.23-2.67, p=0.002), and fall-related injuries (OR 1.64; 95% CI, 1.11-2.42, p=0.014). Visual disturbance and blindness were associated with >1 fall in the past year (OR 1.91; 95% CI, 1.01-3.64, p=0.048), any fall in the past month (OR 1.97; 95% CI, 1.11-3.49, p=0.020), FoF (OR 2.08; 95% CI, 1.13-3.81, p=0.018), and fall-related injuries (OR 2.95; 95% CI, 1.66-5.25, p<0.001).
Conclusions :
Various diagnoses of ocular disease including AMD, diabetic eye disease, and visual disturbance and blindness were associated with falls, FoF, FoF limiting activity, and fall-related outcomes.
This abstract was presented at the 2022 ARVO Annual Meeting, held in Denver, CO, May 1-4, 2022, and virtually.