Eye diseases spell increased risk of falls, fractures

People with cataract, age-related macular degeneration (AMD), and/or glaucoma are at heightened risk of both falls or fractures, as shown in a study.

The study included 410,476 individuals (mean age 73.8 years) with cataract, 75,622 (mean age 79.4 years) with AMD, and 90,177 (mean age 69.8 years) with glaucoma. These participants were matched to 2,034,194 individual comparators without cataract, 375,548 without AMD, and 448,179 without glaucoma based on age, sex, and general practice.

Researchers used multivariable Cox proportional hazards regression models to estimate the risk of falls or fractures in relation to each eye disease.

The risk of falls was higher by between 25 percent and 38 percent among participants with eye diseases than among the respective comparators (cataract: adjusted hazard ratio [aHR], 1.36, 95 percent confidence interval [CI], 1.35–1.38; AMD: aHR, 1.25, 95 percent CI, 1.23–1.27; glaucoma: aHR, 1.38, 95 percent CI, 1.35–1.41).

Each eye disease was likewise associated with increased risk of fractures (cataract: aHR, 1.28, 95 percent CI, 1.27–1.30; AMD: aHR, 1.18, 95 percent CI, 1.15–1.21; glaucoma: HR, 1.31, 95 percent CI, 1.27–1.35).

Site-specific fracture analyses indicated a risk increase in almost all body sites, namely hip, spine, forearm, skull or facial bones, pelvis, ribs or sternum, and lower leg for participants with eye diseases versus comparators.