title: Health-related quality of life in patients with primary open-angle glaucoma. An Italian multicentre observational study.
abstract: As a progressive condition, glaucoma may impair health-related quality of life (HRQoL), due to vision loss and other factors. This study evaluated HRQoL in a cohort of patients treated for primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG) and assessed its association with clinical features.
  
  
  
  This was an Italian, multicentre, cross-sectional, observational study with the subgroup of newly diagnosed patients with POAG prospectively followed up for one year. Patients with previous or new diagnosis (or strong clinical suspicion) of POAG aged >18 years were considered eligible. Information was collected on demographic characteristics, medical history, clinical presentation and POAG treatments. HRQoL was measured using the 25-item National Eye Institute Visual Function Questionnaire (NEI-VFQ-25) and Glaucoma Symptom Scale (GSS). Subscale and total scores were obtained and a Pearson correlation coefficient between instruments' scores calculated.
  
  
  
  A total of 3227 patients were enrolled from 2012 to 2013 and 3169 were analysed. Mean age was 66.9 years. A total of 93.8% had a previous diagnosis (median duration: 8.0 years). Median values for mean deviation and pattern standard deviation were 3.9 and 3.6 dB, respectively. Mean scores on most subscales of the NEI-VFQ-25 exceeded 75.0 and mean GSS subscale scores ranged between 70.8 and 79.7 (with a total mean score of 74.8). HRQoL scores on both scales were significantly inversely associated with POAG severity.
  
  
  
  In this large sample of Italians treated for POAG, disease severity was limited and HRQoL scores were high. QoL decreased with advancing disease severity. These findings confirm the role of vision loss in impairing QoL in POAG, underlying the importance of timely detection and appropriate treatment.
authors.affiliation: IRCCS Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche Mario Negri, Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: Irene
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Floriani
authors.affiliation: University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy.
authors.forename: Luciano
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Quaranta
authors.affiliation: IRCCS Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche Mario Negri, Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: Eliana
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Rulli
authors.affiliation: University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy.
authors.forename: Andreas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Katsanos
authors.affiliation: University 'Magna Graecia', Catanzaro, Italy.
authors.forename: Luigi
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Varano
authors.affiliation: University of Siena, Siena, Italy.
authors.forename: Paolo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Frezzotti
authors.affiliation: IRCCS - San Matteo Polyclinic, Pavia, Italy.
authors.forename: Gemma C M
authors.initials: GC
authors.lastname: Rossi
authors.affiliation: IRCCS - Istituto Auxologico Italiano, Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: Luciana
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Carmassi
authors.affiliation: University of Turin, Turin, Italy.
authors.forename: Teresa
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Rolle
authors.affiliation: IRCCS - Ca'Granda Foundation - Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, University of Milan, Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: Roberto
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ratiglia
authors.affiliation: University Hospital of Parma, Parma, Italy.
authors.forename: Stefano
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Gandolfi
authors.affiliation: University Hospital 'San Giovanni di Dio', Cagliari, Italy.
authors.forename: Maurizio
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Fossarello
authors.affiliation: University Hospital 'Policlinico Vittorio Emanuele', Catania, Italy.
authors.forename: Maurizio
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Uva
authors.affiliation: IRCCS Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche Mario Negri, Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: Lital
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Hollander
authors.affiliation: IRCCS Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche Mario Negri, Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: Davide
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Poli
authors.affiliation: University of Turin, Turin, Italy.
authors.forename: Federico
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Grignolo
keywords: 
  GSS
  ; NEI‐VFQ‐25; observational study; primary open‐angle glaucoma; quality of life