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ASSOCIATION BETWEEN GLAUCOMA AND HEALTH-RELATED QUALITY OF LIFE: A POPULATION-BASED STUDY OF DATA FROM THE UNITED STATES

Ayman M. Baabdullah, Mohammed H. Aldebasi, Hind M. Alhodaly, Hend M. Alsawadi, Abrar F. Aljohani, Suliman Alghanam, Eman Alhussain

Introduction: In the United States (US), glaucoma is the leading cause of irreversible blindness, accounting for 11% all cases. Limited visual abilities may extremely affect individual’s quality of life by restricting daily activities. Little is known about the impact of glaucoma on self-reported health; thus, this study aimed to investigate the association between glaucoma and Health Related Quality of Life (HRQOL) among the US population. Methods: This study used the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS), a nationally representative household survey of the US population. Participants aged 40 years or above with and without glaucoma diagnosis were included. The study population were then divided into two age groups (40-64) and (65 and above). Outcomes were the mental and physical components of short form-12 (SF-12). The association between glaucoma and SF-12 was evaluated using a weighted multivariable linear regression model adjusting for gender, race, poverty status, insurance, smoking and diabetes. Results: The weighted sample represents 148,007,416, of which (2.85%) had glaucoma. Glaucoma patients were more likely to be insured than those without glaucoma (98.4% vs. 91.8%, P<0.01). Younger individuals (40-64 years) with glaucoma reported physical component scores that were 2.1 lower than older individuals with glaucoma (P<0.01). Conclusion: We found that glaucoma significantly affects the physical components of HRQOL. Younger individuals with glaucoma may find it difficult to use aids or other strategies to overcome their limited visual abilities. Thus, early support for younger individuals newly diagnosed with glaucoma may promote and improve their quality of life. Keywords: glaucoma, quality of life, blindness, age, diabetes mellitus, ethnicity.

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