Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a retinal disease affecting more than 2 million Canadians over the age of 50. The neovascular form of AMD is responsible for 90% of severe vision loss associated with the disease. This study was conducted to assess the burden of neovascular AMD in the Canadian population.
A cross-sectional, observational study was conducted of self-reported functional health, well-being, and disease burden among elderly subjects in Canada with (n = 67) and without (n = 99) neovascular AMD. Subjects completed telephone surveys of the National Eye Institute Visual Function Questionnaire (NEI-VFQ-25), the EuroQol questionnaire (EQ-5D), and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS). Subjects also reported their history of falls and fractures and annual health care resource utilization.
Subjects with neovascular AMD reported significantly worse vision-related functioning and overall well-being than controls (adjusted mean scores on the NEI-VFQ-25: 48.0 vs. 87.5; p