Millions of people aged 50 and over in the UK have undiagnosed vision or hearing problems, research suggests, prompting this age group to have more regular check-ups.
Doctors involved in the study said the findings were “deeply concerning” and warned that those affected were at risk of falls, mental health problems and socially restricted lifestyles.
One in four people aged 50 and over (6.7 million) cannot see clearly in one or both eyes, according to the pilot phase of the UK National Eye and Hearing Health Survey.
And three in four older Britons (20.3 million people) suffer some form of hearing loss in one or both ears, according to a study that is the first of its kind.
The study found “widespread, hidden sensory loss,” with many of those affected unaware of their condition, according to vision and hearing experts involved in the study.
Rupert Bourne, professor of ophthalmology at Anglia Ruskin University and principal investigator of the study, said: “These figures are deeply worrying. They show that sensory health is not receiving enough attention, even among high-risk groups. We are missing important opportunities to prevent preventable vision and hearing loss.”
The results are based on a survey of more than 500 people aged 50 and over living at home or in care homes in Peterborough and Cambridgeshire.
Extrapolated to the UK population as a whole, the results show:
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6.7 million people in the UK aged 50 or over have vision problems in one or both eyes.
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2.4 million people have visual impairment in one eye
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20.3 million have some form of hearing loss in one or both ears.
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7.7 million people cannot hear clearly in both ears.
Bourne said: “We are lucky to live in a country with an NHS that offers universal health care, free at the time of birth. Yet despite this, and free NHS eye tests from age 60, one in four people over 50 have vision loss in one or both eyes, most of which could be prevented.”
The study found a significant “unmet need” for vision and hearing health care. According to Bourne, many of those they examined said their hearing was better than the tests showed.
Dr Jamil Muzaffar, consultant ear, nose and throat specialist at University Hospital Birmingham and co-author of the findings, said: “We know from the study that many people have hearing problems that they simply don't know about.”
He and Bourne said the findings were particularly concerning given the link between dementia and untreated vision or hearing problems.
According to scientists, hearing loss and vision loss increase the risk of developing dementia. latest findings from the Lancet medical journal's panel on how to prevent the disease, reported last July. Other risk factors cited were depression, high blood pressure, air pollution and poor diet.
Sight loss estimated to cost UK £58 billion a year because of the loss of productivity and because of the burden this places on the NHS, the wider care system, families and carers.
Michael Bowen, director of knowledge and research at the College of Optometrists, said: “The findings show how many people are not attending regular eye tests where these eye conditions can be detected, even though people over 60 are eligible for free NHS eye tests across the UK.”
The study authors say the NHS should make much greater use of mobile diagnostic tests in non-hospital settings such as GP surgeries and care homes to detect and treat sensory impairment.
