Quality of Life and Visual Efficiency: fifth Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey

PURPOSE: To analyze the association of visual efficiency and quality of life using data from the fifth Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES V). METHODS: The present study included 5,244 glaucoma or glaucoma suspect subjects who completed a visual acuity test, visual field test and health-related questionnaire from the KNHANES V. Visual efficiency was calculated using best corrected visual acuity and visual field test. Quality of life was assessed with EuroQoL 5D (EQ-5D). Visual efficiency was compared with best corrected vision of the better eye to evaluate the relationship with quality of life. One-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) and partial correlations analysis were used to analyze the associations between factors. RESULTS: Both visual efficiency and best corrected visual acuity of the better eye were significantly different with all EQ-5D parameters (p < 0.005). After controlling for age, gender, income, education, spouse and house ownership, visual efficiency showed a positive correlation coefficient of +0.040 (p = 0.006) with the quality of life and the best corrected visual acuity of the better eye showed negative correlation coefficient of -0.044 (p = 0.002) with the quality of life. CONCLUSIONS: Visual efficiency was associated with the quality of life. Not only visual acuity but also visual efficiency would be a valuable parameter when considering the quality of life. Further studies are needed to evaluate non-glaucomatous populations.

Retinosis pigmentaria y embarazo / Retinitis pigmentosa and pregnancy

Introducción: la retinosis pigmentaria comprende un grupo de enfermedades degenerativas de origen genético y hereditario que causan importante invalidez visual.Objetivo: evaluar cambios oftalmológicos de la agudeza y campo visual en mujeres con retinosis pigmentaria durante y después del embarazo.Métodos: estudio descriptivo, prospectivo, longitudinal realizado en el Centro de Referencia Nacional de Retinosis Pigmentaria de La Habana (1999-2011). Agudeza y campo visuales fueron evaluados en seis etapas por 21 meses desde la captación. Se tomaron los valores cuantitativos de estos parámetros utilizando estándares visuales de la Asociación Médica Americana. Se realizó análisis estadístico con SPSS versión 11.5, con un nivel de significación de 0,01 e intervalo de confianza de 95 porciento para la consideración de media, desviación estándar y frecuencia como medida de resumen.Resultados: se estudiaron 59 mujeres con edad media de 27,11 años (DS 6,7), diferentes tipos de herencia de la retinosis pigmentaria y número variable de gestaciones. Presentaban 24 embarazadas (40,7 porciento), herencia autosómica-recesiva y 18 (30,5 porciento) sin herencia definida. Durante el embarazo 36 (61,0 porciento) empeoraron la agudeza visual y 47 (79,7 porciento) disminuyeron el campo visual lo que fue más notable a partir del 3er. trimestre. Al final del estudio 50 gestantes (84,7 porciento) deterioraron su función visual, sobre todo en aquellas con herencia autosómica recesiva y multigrávidas.Conclusiones: existieron cambios irreversibles en la agudeza y campo visual durante y aún después de la gestación en las mujeres con retinosis pigmentaria. El embarazo ha afectado negativamente de forma moderada la función visual y la evolución de la retinosis pigmentaria

Introduction: retinitis pigmentosa is a group of degenerative diseases of genetic origin and hereditary cause which results in important visual disability.Objective: to assess eye acuity and visual field changes in retinitis pigmentosa women during and after pregnancy.Methods: a descriptive, prospective, longitudinal study was conducted at the National Reference Center of Retinitis Pigmentosa in Havana (1999-2011). Acuity and visual field were evaluated in six stages for 21 months since recruitment. The quantitative values of these parameters were taken using visual standards of the American Medical Association. Statistical analysis was performed with SPSS version 11.5, with a significance level of 0.01 and confidence interval of 95 per cent for the consideration of mean, standard deviation and frequency as a measure of summary.Results: 59 women were studied with a mean age of 27.11 years (SD 6.7), different types of inheritance of retinitis pigmentosa and variable number of pregnancies. 24 were pregnant (40.7 per cent) had autosomal-recessive and 18 (30.5 per cent) no definite inheritance. During pregnancy, 36 (61.0 per cent) worsened visual acuity and 47 (79.7 per cent) decreased the visual field that was most remarkable from the 3rd. quarter. At the end of the study, 50 pregnant women (84.7 per cent) deteriorated visual function, especially those with autosomal recessive inheritance and multigravidae.Conclusions: there were irreversible changes in visual acuity and field during and even after pregnancy in women with retinitis pigmentosa. Pregnancy has negatively affected moderately visual function and evolution of retinitis pigmentosa

A Clinical Analysis of Vitrectomy for the Proliferative Diabetic Retinopathy Patients

The authors reviewed the charts of 128 patients(160 eyes) who underwent vitrectomy for the proliferative diabetic retinopathy from January 1993 to December 1995 and the results were analyzed in terms of visual efficiency. At the conclusion of the study, visual acuity improved in 96 eyes(60%), unchanged in 33 eyes(21%) and in 31 eyes(19%) became worse. Visual efficiency was increased from 11.9% preoperatively to 37.2% postoperatively in all patients. Patients under the age of 40 showed better results than the patients above the age of 40. The factors which affected the change in visual efficiency were age and preoperative intraocular conditions. The patients who had non-clearing vitreous hemorrhage without proliferative membrane revealed better prognostic results than the other patients. In 50 eyes (31.3%) of cases, maximal postoperative visual acuity was achieved in 4 weeks to 3 months after operation.