Abstract
Purpose:
To assess the quality of life (QoL) in glaucoma patients and normal subjects, and to assess its relation with the severity of damage in each eye.
Methods:
Three hundred and fifty nine subjects were included in the study and distributed in three categories. Group 1 had both eyes normal (normal intraocular pressure (PIO), optic disk and visual fields (VF)) or mild glaucoma defined as untreated PIO > 21 mmHg and abnormal VF with mean defect (MD) over -6dB. Group 2 comprised 81 patients with both eyes with mild or moderate glaucoma defined as untreated PIO > 21 mmHg and abnormal VF with MD between -6dB and -12dB. Group 3 included 70 patients with moderate to severe glaucoma (untreated PIO > 21 mmHg and abnormal VF with MD of less than -12dB) in both eyes. Group 4 included 61 patients with asymmetric glaucomatous damage. Specifically, the patients in group 4 had one eye with severe glaucoma and the other eye normal or with mild glaucoma. All subjects completed 3 different questionnaires. Global quality of life was evaluated with EuroQol-5D (EQ-5D). Vision related quality of life was assessed with Visual Function Questionnaire (VFQ-25). Quality of life related to ocular surface disease was measured with Ocular Surface Disease Index (OSDI). The scores of the 4 groups were compared with analysis of variance.<br />
Results:
VFQ-25 showed that group 1 and 4 had less difficulties than group 3 with distance activities (88,2 ±17,2; p= 0,017 and 89,14±15,6;p= 0,027, respectively), social function (93,6±15,3; p= 0,009 and 94,87±13,4; p= 0,011, respectively) and color vision (94,5±15,3; p= 0.022 and 95,54±14,3;p=0,027, respectively). Additionally, group 1 had less difficulties or higher punctuation than group 3 in near activities (85,5 ±20,02; p=0,006), peripheral vision (91,75 ± 19,8; p= 0,012) and general vision (71,4±15,3; p=0.01). In terms of global QoL, group 4 obtained a higher score (73,21±16,6) than all other groups (all, p<0,05). QoL related to ocular surface disease did not show significant differences among the groups (all, p>0,05).<br />
Conclusions:
Patients with severe glaucoma in both eyes had worse QoL, or more difficulties performing different every day activities than patients with mild or asymmetric glaucomatous damage. No significant differences were found between asymmetric glaucomas and patients with normal or mild glaucomas in both eyes.<br />