Burden of illness, visual impairment and health resource utilisation of patients with neovascular age-related macular degeneration: results from the UK cohort of a five-country cross-sectional study.
OBJECTIVE
Quantitative data regarding the impact of neovascular age-related macular degeneration (NV-AMD) on individuals and society is a prerequisite for rational decision-making processes when evaluating alternative treatments for the disease.


METHODS
75 bilateral NV-AMD (patients) and 91 elderly non-AMD (controls) subjects forming the UK cohort of an international cross-sectional, observational study were independently analysed. Subjects completed a telephone survey including the National Eye Institute Visual Function Questionnaire (NEI-VFQ-25), the EuroQol (EQ-5D), the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), history of falls and health resource utilisation.


RESULTS
Patients with NV-AMD reported substantially worse vision-related functioning and overall well-being, including higher depression scores, than controls after adjusting for age, gender and co-morbidities (adjusted mean scores: NEI-VFQ-25 overall 52.7 vs 90.7, p<0.0001; EQ-5D 0.67 vs 0.77, p = 0.0273; HADS depression 6.8 vs 4.0, p = 0.0026). Significantly more patients reported a need for assistance with daily activities compared with controls (25.3% vs 6.6%, p = 0.003). Total annual healthcare utilisation costs were more than sevenfold higher for patients with AMD compared with controls ( pound 3,823.89 vs pound 517.05, respectively; p<0.0001)


CONCLUSIONS
Patients with NV-AMD show a significant decline in quality of life and increased need for daily living assistance compared to a control population without AMD. With the availability of effective new therapies there is a need for improved early access to treatment.
Lotery
Andrew
A
University of Southampton, Southampton Eye Unit, Southampton General Hospital, Tremona Road, Southampton SO16 6YD, UK. a.j.lotery@soton.ac.uk
Xu
Xiao
X
Zlatava
Gergana
G
Loftus
Jane
J
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D017281:Cost of Illness; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D017048:Health Care Costs; D006801:Humans; D008268:Macular Degeneration / Q000150:complications / Q000191:economics / Q000453:epidemiology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care; D011788:Quality of Life; D006113:United Kingdom / Q000453:epidemiology; D014786:Vision Disorders / Q000191:economics / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D014792:Visual Acuity / Q000502:physiology