Ophthalmic and Glaucoma Treatment Characteristics Associated With Changes in Health-related Quality of Life Before and After Newly Diagnosed Primary Open-angle Glaucoma in Nurses’ Health Study Participants

Abstract

Purpose To identify attributes related to glaucoma diagnosis or early glaucoma treatment patterns that are associated with changes in health-related quality of life among those with newly diagnosed primary open-angle glaucoma. Methods Among Nurses’ Health Study participants with incident medical record-confirmed primary open-angle glaucoma diagnosed in 1992–2000, we included 317 women who completed the Short-Form 36 Health Survey pre- and post-diagnosis. The two primary outcomes were 4-year changes (1992–1996 or 1996–2000) in the physical and mental component summary scores. Multiple regression models were used to estimate differences in score changes by early treatment pattern history and characteristics as of diagnosis (i.e., number of eyes affected, history of cataract, macular degeneration, cup-to-disc ratio, intraocular pressure, visual field loss type). Results In multivariable models, no ophthalmologic characteristics were associated with physical component score change. However, compared to treatment with eye drops or pills only, laser trabeculoplasty treatment (concomitant with history of treatment with eye drops or pills in 84%) was associated with a worse mental component score change over four years (-2.5 units; 95% confidence interval: −4.6, −0.3); this association was stronger with a family history of glaucoma (p-interaction=0.04) or with bilateral disease (p-interaction=0.001). Conclusions Among patients with incident glaucoma, no major factors were associated with change in physical well-being. However, compared to medical treatment only, a history of laser trabeculoplasty, which was commonly accompanied with a history of medical treatment and likely represented the need for a second line of treatment, was associated with a worse decline in mental well-being.

Survival Analysis of Glaucoma Patients Until Blindness: The Case of University of Gondar Comprehensive Specialized Hospital, Gondar, Ethiopia

“…As explained by George and Louis (2013), glaucoma patients who receive diagnosis may have become more anxious or depressed because they perceived that laser trabeculoplasty was being used because medications had failed, that their disease may be more severe or difficult to control and that there will be a greater risk of disability, loss of independency or blindness. 22 Similarly, in the plot of survivor function in advanced stage of the disease showed more survival time than the early stage. This is because patients with glaucoma in general has no symptoms early in the course of the disease, and by the time a patient is aware of vision loss, the disease is usually quite advanced and they will begin treatment at that stage.…”

O impacto do glaucoma na qualidade de vida: uma revisão sistemática

“…O glaucoma ocasiona um grande impacto psicológico, não apenas pela perda da independência e dificuldade de adaptação, mas também pela redução de escores de bem-estar emocional conforme a doença evolui 6,21,[26][27][28] . Os traumas psicológicos relacionados a perda visual são diversos: maiores níveis de estresse, distúrbios do sono, solidão, depressão, ansiedade 3,12 .…”

Socio-Demographic, lifestyle and eye-related factors associated with quality of life Among people with glaucoma in Serbia

“…Previous studies examined certain aspects that might be associated with VRQoL in glaucoma, such as knowledge about glaucoma 7 and health literacy , 8 psychological factors 9 visual impairment , 10 visual field defects , 11 glaucoma-specific medications 12 and interventions 13,14 or environmental conditions. 15 Other studies examined multiple factors affecting VRQoL in patient with glaucoma , [16][17][18][19] however, they did not include an analysis of interventions or glaucoma subtype. For this reason, it is necessary to explore in detail all relevant aspects that might interfere with the optimum health and well-being of people with glaucoma.…”