title: Impact of ocular surface symptoms on quality of life in a United States veterans affairs population.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the impact of ocular surface symptoms on quality of life in a veteran population receiving eye care services.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cross-sectional survey study.
  
  
  METHODS
  setting: Miami Veterans Affairs Medical Center (VAMC). patient population: Patients seen at the eye clinic between June and August 2010 were asked to fill out the Dry Eye Questionnaire 5 (DEQ5) and the Impact of Dry Eye on Everyday Life (IDEEL) questionnaire. main outcome measures: Correlation between ocular surface symptoms and functionality.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Four hundred eighty-nine patients elected to fill out the DEQ5 questionnaire (36% response rate). The mean age of respondents was 66 years (standard deviation 12). Ninety-four percent were male; 62% were white and 37% were black. Using the DEQ5 as a surrogate measure of ocular surface symptoms, 65% of respondents reported at least mild ocular surface symptoms (DEQ5 ≥6) and 27% of them reported severe symptoms (DEQ5 ≥12). Black subjects had a 2-fold increased risk of severe symptoms compared to white subjects (odds ratio 2.06, 95% confidence interval 1.33-3.19). Several medications were associated with a significantly increased risk of severe symptoms, including glaucoma medications (1.7-fold increase), antidepressants (2.3-fold increase), and antihistamines (2.1-fold increase). There was an inverse correlation between DEQ5 and IDEEL scores with regard to ability to perform activities of daily living (n = 391, r = -0.54, P < .001), emotional well-being (n = 386, r = -0.63, P < .001), and the ability to work (n = 205, r = -0.57, P < .001). Fifty percent of patients with severe symptoms had documentation that their symptoms were addressed during the visit.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Severe ocular surface symptoms reduce the quality of life of Miami VAMC veterans. Eye care professionals should be vigilant in eliciting ocular surface complaints from their patients.
authors.affiliation: Miami Veterans Administration Medical Center, Miami, Florida, USA.
authors.forename: Bozorgmehr
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Pouyeh
authors.forename: Eduardo
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Viteri
authors.forename: William
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Feuer
authors.forename: David J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Hermes
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Florez
authors.forename: James A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Fabian
authors.forename: Victor L
authors.initials: VL
authors.lastname: Perez
authors.forename: Anat
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Galor
mesh_terms: D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000328:Adult; D001741:Black or African American; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D015352:Dry Eye Syndromes / Q000208:ethnology / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011788:Quality of Life / Q000523:psychology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014481:United States; D014493:United States Department of Veterans Affairs; D014728:Veterans / Q000523:psychology*; D044465:White People; D055815:Young Adult