Gradually Then Suddenly? Decline in Vision-Related Quality of Life as Glaucoma Worsens

Purpose. To evaluate the relationship between self-reported vision-related quality of life (VRQL) and visual field (VF) loss in people from glaucoma clinics. Methods. A postal survey using the National Eye Institute Visual Function Questionnaire (NEI VFQ-25) was administered to people with a range o...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Lee Jones, Susan R. Bryan, David P. Crabb
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wiley 2017-01-01
Series:Journal of Ophthalmology
Online Access:http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2017/1621640
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Summary:Purpose. To evaluate the relationship between self-reported vision-related quality of life (VRQL) and visual field (VF) loss in people from glaucoma clinics. Methods. A postal survey using the National Eye Institute Visual Function Questionnaire (NEI VFQ-25) was administered to people with a range of VF loss identified from a UK hospital-based glaucoma service database. Trends were assessed in a composite score from NEI VFQ-25 against better-eye mean deviation (BEMD) using linear regression and a spline-fitting method that can highlight where a monotonic relationship may have different stages. Results. A total of 636 patients (median [interquartile range] BEMD −2.1 [−5.2, −0.4] dB, median age 70 [60, 77] years) were analysed. Analysis of trends in the data revealed an average patient loses approximately 2 units (out of 100) on NEI VFQ-25 for every loss of 1 dB (BEMD) as VF defects first become bilateral, up to BEMD −5 dB. NEI VFQ-25 deterioration then appears to slow before a more rapid phase of change (4–5 units per 1 dB loss) after BEMD worsens beyond −15 dB. Conclusions. Relationship between decline in VRQL and VF worsening in glaucoma is unlikely to be linear; it more likely has different phases, and these should be further explored in longitudinal studies.
ISSN:2090-004X
2090-0058