Health and vision related quality of life among patients with choroidal neovascular age related macular degeneration

Abstract

Purpose: To describe the impact of aged-related macular degeneration (AMD) on vision-related quality of life (QOL) on a sample of portuguese patients and explore the association with vision, Central Foveal Thickness (CFT) and demographic variables in a Portuguese population. Methods: Observational, interview study of 68 patients with clinical diagnosis of NV AMD seen between January and April 2011 at the Ophthalmology Department of Centro Hospitalar de Lisboa Ocidental. Health-related quality of life (HRQL) was measured with a Portuguese version of the 25-item National Eye Institute Visual Function Questionnaire (NEI VFQ-25). Scores were analysed and correlated with age, gender, laterality of the disease, initial and final visual acuity (VA), CFT and duration of follow-up. Results: Worst eye VA had predictive value in the following scores: global, distance activities, color vision, peripheral vision, role difficulties, social functioning and mental health (p<0.05). In a multivariable model with inclusion of all the parameters studied, the analysed variables explained 60% of the variability of the Global Score, with a predictive value of 0.08 (R2 0.57, p=0.088). Conclusion: NV AMD is associated with impairment in reported vision related QOL in our group of patients. The VA of the worst eye has a predictive value in NEI VFQ-25 scores.