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Comment
. 2023 Sep;37(13):2736-2743.
doi: 10.1038/s41433-023-02407-0. Epub 2023 Jan 25.

Risk factors for poorer quality of life in patients with neovascular age-related macular degeneration: a longitudinal clinic-based study

Kim Van Vu  1 , Paul Mitchell  1 , Harshil Dharamdasani Detaram  1 , George Burlutsky  2 , Gerald Liew  1 , Bamini Gopinath  3
Affiliations
Comment

Risk factors for poorer quality of life in patients with neovascular age-related macular degeneration: a longitudinal clinic-based study

Kim Van Vu et al. Eye (Lond). 2023 Sep.

Abstract

Background/objectives: To examine the risk factors for poor vision-related and health-related quality of life (QoL) in patients with neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD) who present for anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (anti-VEGF) therapy.

Methods: In a clinic-based cohort of 547 nAMD patients who presented for treatment, the National Eye Institute Visual Function Questionnaire-25 (NEI-VFQ25), Short-Form 36 (SF-36) and EuroQoL EQ-5D-5L questionnaires were administered to assess vision-related and health-related QoL. Of these, 83 participants were followed up one-year later to provide longitudinal data.

Results: Individuals with mild or moderate visual impairment or blindness at baseline had significantly lower NEI-VFQ-25 scores at follow-up. The presence of ≥3 chronic diseases was associated with lower SF-36 mental component scores (MCS) (p = 0.04) and EQ-VAS scores (p = 0.05). Depressive symptoms were associated with significantly lower MCS (p < 0.0001) and EQ-VAS scores (p = 0.02). Individuals with versus without impaired basic activities of daily living (ADLs) exhibited NEI-VFQ-25 and EQ-VAS scores that were 10.96 (p = 0.03) and 0.13 (p = 0.02) points lower. Those with impaired instrumental ADLs scored 11.62 (p = 0.02), 13.13 (p < 0.0001) and 15.8 (p = 0.0012) points lower in the NEI-VFQ-25, SF-36 physical component score and EQ-5D-5L summary score, respectively.

Conclusions: The QoL of nAMD patients is affected by visual acuity as well as patients' medical history, mental health and functional status.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no competing interests.

Comment on

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