Impact of moderate and severe primary open-angle glaucoma on quality of life due to activity limitation

Purpose: To study the impact of moderate and severe primary open?angle glaucoma (POAG) on the quality of life (QoL) due to activity limitation using glaucoma?specific questionnaires. Methods: This cross?sectional study enrolled 122 participants, 50% (n = 61) being controls and 50% were diagnosed cases of moderate/ severe POAG. Three orally administered glaucoma?specific QoL instruments were used: Glaucoma Activity Limitation (GAL?9), Glaucoma Quality of Life (GQL?15), and Viswanathan questionnaires. The questions related to activity limitation were identified and analyzed for each questionnaire separately. Results: The mean age of the participants was 61.04 ± 9.88 years and a majority were males (64.8%, n = 79). The mean scores in controls, moderate glaucoma, and severe POAG patients for GAL?9 questionnaire were 9.77 ± 1.36 (P = 0.44), 13.75 ± 4.76 (P < 0.001), and 23.45 ± 5.62 (P < 0.001), for GQL?15, these were 16.39 ± 2.18 (P = 0.5), 22.75 ± 7.89 (P < 0.001), and 39.34 ± 9.42 (P < 0.001), respectively, while for the Viswanathan questionnaire, they were 9.49 ± 0.94 (P = 0.38), 7.91 ± 1.59 (P < 0.001), and 4.41 ± 2.20 (P < 0.001), respectively. The GQL?15 and GAL?9 questionnaires concluded that activity limitation pertaining to dark adaptation?related tasks affected the QoL the most in moderate as well as severe POAG (P < 0.001). Using the Viswanathan questionnaire, it was observed that the peripheral vision?related activity limitation was most significant for the decrease in QoL in moderate POAG while near vision?related activity limitation affected the QoL the most in severe POAG (P < 0.001). Conclusion: All three questionnaires concluded that the activity limitation due to moderate and severe glaucoma has a negative impact on the QoL. The limitation of the tasks involving dark adaptation/glare and peripheral vision has the most significant impact on the QoL in moderate glaucoma. As the disease progresses to a severe category, the limitation of activities requiring central and near vision causes the most significant worsening in QoL.