Quality of life evaluation of age-related macular degeneration

PURPOSE: To evaluate quality of life (QOL) characteristics and ophthalmic factors influencing QOL in age-related macular degeneration (AMD) patients. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: The subjects were 80 patients with AMD. An eye-disease specific QOL questionnaire, The 25-Item National Eye Institute Visual Function Questionnaire (VFQ-25), was administered. Results were compared with those of glaucoma or cataract patients and those of individuals without eye diseases. The VFQ-25 score was assessed according to visual acuity, absolute scotoma size, and disease type. Multiple regression analysis was used to evaluate ophthalmic factors influencing the QOL score. RESULTS: VFQ-25 scores were significantly lower in AMD patients than in all other groups. Scores of patients with visual acuity less than 0.1, with large absolute central scotoma, and bilateral exudative AMD were lower, for several items, than those of patients with visual acuity of 0.4 or more, those of patients without absolute scotoma, and those of bilateral atrophic AMD patients, respectively. Visual acuity and absolute central scotoma size influenced social functioning and mental health. The exudative form influenced mental health and critical print size influenced dependency. CONCLUSION: The VFQ-25-assessed QOL of AMD patients was lower than that of glaucoma or cataract patients. Visual acuity, absolute central scotoma and the existence of exudative AMD influenced the QOL in AMD patients.