Abstract
Purpose :
The impact of glaucoma on vision related quality of life (QoL) has previously been investigated using questionnaire-based self-reported assessments, as the National Eye Institute Visual Function Questionnaire (NEI VFQ-25). The purpose of this study was to evaluate the impact of visual acuity (VA), visual field (VF) damage and other factors on the vision related QoL in Brazilian glaucoma patients.
Methods :
This was a cross-sectional prospective study including 49 glaucoma patients. They were defined based on the presence of repeatable standard automatic perimetry (SAP) VF defects at time of evaluation in at least one eye. All patients had repeatable SAP and NEI VFQ-25 questionnaire. The association of QoL scores to the best-corrected visual acuity and the VF loss of the better and worse eye were investigated.
Results :
Average SAP mean deviation (MD) of the better and worse eye of glaucoma patients were -8.0±6.9 dB and -18.0±8.1 dB, respectively. Average VA of the better and worse eye of glaucoma subjects were 0.5±0.5 dB and 1.5±0.8 LogMAR, respectively. Average QoL scores of glaucoma subjects were 58.8±18.7 units. The highest and the lowest mean value (85.0±24.2 and 37.5±36.5) was observed in the “Social Functioning Subscale” and “ Driving Subscale”, respectively. Patients with advanced glaucoma (MD<-12 dB) in the worse eye had significant worse QoL (p=0.007). There were a significant correlation between QoL scores and VA of better and worse eye (P=0.010 and P<0.001; respectively). And there were a significant correlation between QoL scores and SAP MD of the better and worse eye (P=0.023 and P<0.001; respectively). In the multivariable model containing socioeconomic and comorbidities index, QoL remained significant related to SAP MD of the better eye and worse eye (P=0.29 and P<0.001, respectively). And in the multivariable model containing socioeconomic and comorbidities index, QoL remained significant related to VA of the better and worse eye (P=0.017 and P<0.001, respectively).
Conclusions :
SAP MD and visual acuity of the better and worse eye were associated with worse QoL of Brazilian glaucoma patients. The most associated factor with QoL was SAP MD of the worse eye. Assessment of these metrics such as visual acuity and visual field damage may help detect decreased QoL in glaucoma patients.
This is an abstract that was submitted for the 2017 ARVO Annual Meeting, held in Baltimore, MD, May 7-11, 2017.