Health related quality of life in glaucoma patients

Purpose: To evaluate the relationship between clinical measures of visual function andquality of life in glaucoma patients.Patients and Methods: Ninety consecutive primary open angle glaucoma patientsevaluated their vision using one utility test, the time trade-off test and one quality of lifeinstrument, Modified Glau-QOL 17 Questionnaire. Their results were compared toEsterman binocular visual field (BVF) and other clinical test of their visual function.Results: The mean age of the patients was sixty-eight and the mean MD in the worse eyewas -7,4 dB (SD: 8,3). Visual acuity was 0,63 and 0,87 in the worse and better eye,respectively. On a scale of zero to one hundred mean score for the Modified Glau-QOL 17Questionnaire was 77,6 ± 12,4 (38,7-98,2) and for the Esterman test was 94,1 ± 6,4 (69-100). The Esterman test correlated well with the overall Modified Glau-QOL 17 score(PCC = 0,41; P = 0.001) but only moderately with the time trade-off test (PCC = 0,20; P =0,05). In addition, C/D ratio in the worse eye (PCC = -0,29; P = 0,006), GSS 2 stage in thebetter eye (PCC = -0,27; P = 0,01), glaucoma duration in years (PCC = 0,23; P = 0,03) andPSD in the better eye (PCC = -0,22; P = 0,03) were correlated moderately with overallModified Glau-QOL 17 score. Correlation between the time trade-off test and the overallModified Glau-QOL 17 score was moderate (PCC = -0,32; P = 0,002).Conclusion: Time trade-off utility test do not correlate well with the Esterman test resultsand other other clinical test of visual function than Modified Glau-QOL 17 questionnaire.Key words: Glaucoma, quality of life, utility tests, time trade-off, Esterman binocularvisual field.