Cataract and cataract surgery association with depressive symptoms and cognitive function in 8,146 adults in Ireland

Session Details

Session Title: Cataract Surgery Outcomes/Practice Styles/Biometry

Session Date/Time: Monday 12/09/2016 | 14:00-16:00

Paper Time: 14:18

Venue: Auditorium C6

First Author: : C.Quigley IRELAND

Co Author(s): :                        

Abstract Details

Purpose:

To assess whether presence of cataract, and cataract surgery, is associated with depressive symptoms and cognitive function.

Setting:

Participants over the age of 50 in the Irish Longitudinal Study of Aging (TILDA), a nationally representative longitudinal study of aging in Ireland. Study participants were excluded if they had another eye problem.

Methods:

In total, n=8,146 adults from TILDA were analysed. The association between presence of cataract and symptoms of depression, assessed via the Center for Epidemiologic Studies of Depression (CESD) scale, and also the association with cognitive function, assessed via the mini mental state exam (MMSE) were explored in univariate analysis and after adjustment for age, at baseline and at followup three years later.

Results:

Cataract was reported as present in n=371 (4.55% of total sample), with an additional n = 513 (6.30%) being pseudophakic. Presence of cataract was associated with significantly higher depressive symptoms at baseline (beta coefficient (b)= 1.05, p= 0.007), and at follow-up 2 years later (b= 1.25, p=0.002), but the association was removed after adjustment for relevant covariates. Cataract was also associated with lower cognitive function in unadjusted analysis at baseline (b= -0.65, p value <0.00001), and at follow-up 2 years later (b= -0.70, p value <0.00001), but this association was removed after adjustment for covariates. In the presence of cataract, cataract surgery, in one or both eyes, was not associated with depressive symptoms or MMSE score at baseline or follow-up.

Conclusions:

Presence of cataract is a possible risk factor for depressive symptoms and for lower cognitive function. As has been demonstrated in previous studies, there was not a demonstrable association of having had cataract surgery with depressive symptoms, or with cognitive function. Study strengths include large sample size and multiple measured variables, however limitations include the self-reported nature of the data and lack of visual acuity data.

Financial Disclosure:

NONE