Introduction: The specific impact from the patient's perspective of geographic atrophy (GA), an advanced form of age-related macular degeneration (AMD), is not well understood.
Methods: An ethnographic study was conducted to understand the impact of bilateral GA secondary to AMD on daily functioning by observing regular activities performed at home and through semi-structured interviews. Eligible subjects had a definitive GA diagnosis, including presence of drusen, GA lesion size of at least one disc area in the better-seeing eye, and no other confounding ophthalmologic diagnosis. Data were collected via video recordings and field notes, and analyzed by coding video transcripts.
Results: Functional impact domains affecting more than two of the 16 subjects from the United Kingdom, United States, or Germany were activities of daily living (difficulty reading, n = 16; driving, n = 12; and watching movies, television, or theater, n = 11), emotional (frustration, and fear of blindness, n = 7 each), social/leisure (interference with hobbies, n = 8, and diminished social activities, n = 4), physical (n = 4), and financial (n = 10). Subjects with a best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) of 20/100 or better in the better-seeing eye (n = 10) reported similar functional impacts to those with a BCVA of worse than 20/100 in their better-seeing eye (n = 5).
Conclusion: This study helps address gaps in patient-focused research into GA, which negatively impacts the day-to-day functioning of patients. Larger qualitative and quantitative studies are needed to quantify patient experiences and assess the correlation between BCVA score and impact of GA.
Funding: F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s40123-019-0160-3 | DOI Listing |
Healthcare (Basel)
January 2025
Division of Ophthalmology, Department of Surgery, UMass Chan-Lahey School of Medicine, Burlington, MA 01805, USA.
: Despite evidence that low vision rehabilitation (LVR) services can improve visual function in patients with neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD), many patients are not directed to access these resources. This study was conducted to determine factors associated with LVR referral and to assess the visual outcomes from completed evaluations. : The study comprised a retrospective, cross-sectional analysis of patients with nAMD.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFVestn Oftalmol
December 2024
Northern State Medical University, Arkhangelsk, Russia.
Unlabelled: Intrinsic capacity and quality of life of older adults are determined by many factors, including the functional state of the organ of vision.
Purpose: This study assessed the visual functions of elderly residents of Northern European Russia and examined the relationship between visual impairment and sociodemographic characteristics, ophthalmic conditions, and preservation of work capacity and social functions.
Material And Methods: This cross-sectional study included a random population sample of older adults (ages 60-74) from Arkhangelsk, Russia (=604).
Sci Rep
December 2024
Department of Breast, The First Hospital of Hunan University of Chinese Medicine, Changsha, 410007, China.
The association between the dietary inflammatory index (DII) and visual impairment remains unclear. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between the DII and non-refractive visual impairment among US populations. A cross-sectional analysis was conducted using data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2005-2008, including dietary information and visual impairment assessment.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFGraefes Arch Clin Exp Ophthalmol
December 2024
Tel-Aviv Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, Tel-Aviv University, Tel-Aviv, Israel.
Purpose: Safety glasses are an important measure to prevent blindness, especially in one- eyed patients. However, patient compliance with eye protection is often limited. Unlike previous studies that described protective eyewear wearing in anophthalmic patients, this study analyzed their usage in functionally one-eyed children, having a significantly reduced visual acuity in one eye, determining common obstacles to their use.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFChild Obes
December 2024
Department of Global and Community Health, College of Public Health, George Mason University, Fairfax, VA, USA.
Amblyopia is the most common cause of vision loss in children. Amblyopia has been associated with impaired depth perception but little attention has been paid to the extent to which amblyopia increases the risk of obesity. Public-use data from the 1999-2008 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey were used.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFEnter search terms and have AI summaries delivered each week - change queries or unsubscribe any time!