The association between dual sensory impairment and dementia: a meta-analysis and systematic review of the literature

Background Recent evidence suggests an association between dual sensory impairment (DSI)—that is, both visual and hearing impairments—and dementia. The aim of this systematic review was to synthesise the literature evaluating the dementia risk of adults >18 years with DSI compared to those without sensory impairment and/or those with a single sensory impairment (SSI). Methods PubMed, Web of Science and PsycINFO were systematically searched in February 2024 and August 2024 for studies that considered the association between DSI and dementia, and compared individuals with DSI to those with either no sensory impairment or a SSI. A meta-analysis was conducted on studies reporting hazard ratios. The review followed Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis guidelines and was registered on the Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (PROSPERO). Results A total of 22 papers were included in the narrative review, and 13 were included in the meta-analysis. Overall, findings from the narrative synthesis highlighted a consistent link between dementia prevalence and incidence with DSI. The meta-analysis revealed that individuals with DSI are at an ~50% greater risk of developing dementia compared to those without sensory impairments. Moreover, we identified DSI as a potentially greater risk factor for dementia than isolated hearing and visual impairment, with the risk for dementia in the DSI group exceeding the combined risk of the individual sensory impairments. Conclusions This review highlights that there is substantial evidence linking DSI to an increased risk of dementia, emphasising the importance of considering the interplay between multiple senses in dementia research. Future research should focus on exploring whether interventions targeting DSI could also improve cognitive outcomes.