Purpose: To evaluate the quality of life (QOL) related to the visual functioning of elderly normal-tension glaucoma(NTG) patients quantitatively.
Subjects & methods: 231 NTG patients 65 years or older with visual field loss in Humphrey visual field analysis were studied. The correlation of the subjects' VFQ-25 scores were studied with their patient background information, as well as with their eye test values for intraocular pressure, corrected visual acuity, refraction, mean deviation (MD), and pattern standard deviation (PSD) in the worst seeing eye.
Results: No correlation with the VFQ-25 scores (VFQ-S) was found in any of the 12 sub-scales for gender, age, or duration of the disease. However, the number of glaucoma eye-drop solutions showed a negative correlation with 2 sub-scales. Driving was the only sub-scale in which a correlation was found between the VFQ-S and the subjects' intraocular pressure. Corrected visual acuity demonstrated correlations in many of the sub-scales. MD measurements showed a high correlation with the VFQ-S in all items except general health and ocular pain. On the other hand, no correlation with the VFQ-S was observed in any of the sub-scales for the PSD measurements.
Conclusion: The VFQ-S of elderly NTG patients showed a high degree of reliability. The VFQ-25 scores were useful and suitable tools for evaluating the QOL of glaucoma patients with visual field and acuity impairment.