Work

Vision impairment, depressive symptoms, and risk of incident coronary events: a prospective cohort study

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: Vision impairment (VI) is a common yet underrecognized age-related condition, but its association with coronary heart disease (CHD) risk remains unclear. Using data from 6,906 adults aged ≥ 50 years in the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing (2004–2023), we examined the associations of baseline self-reported vision status and vision transitions between Waves 2 and 3 with incident CHD and explored whether depressive symptoms statistically accounted for part of these associations. During a median follow-up of 12 years, 502 incident CHD cases were identified. Participants with baseline VI had a 40% higher risk of CHD (hazard ratio [HR] 1.40; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.08–1.80), and those whose vision deteriorated had a 55% higher subsequent risk (HR 1.55; 95% CI 1.12–2.15). Each one-point higher mean vision score was linked to a 21% lower CHD risk (HR 0.79; 95% CI 0.69–0.90). Exploratory mediation analyses suggested that depressive symptoms statistically accounted for a modest proportion of the baseline VI–CHD association. Poorer self-reported vision and deterioration were associated with a higher subsequent risk of CHD. Depressive symptoms statistically accounted for a modest proportion of the baseline association, suggesting that perceived visual decline may mark broader cardiovascular vulnerability in later life.

Source: Scientific Reports

DOI: 10.1038/s41598-026-75981-4

Authors: Yang Liu, Junyan Ling, Guangli Sun, Fangfang Yu, Junhua Zhu

Institutions: First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou University

Language: English

Topic: Cardiovascular Health and Risk Factors

Subfield: Cardiology and Cardiovascular Medicine

Field: Medicine

Domain: Health Sciences

SDG: Good health and well-being

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $2,690