National Eye Institute Visual Function Scale in Type 2 Diabetes Patients.

Sezen Akkaya,Haluk Kazokoğlu,Tayfun Bavbek,Özlem Şahin,Sinay Düzova

doi:10.1155/2016/1549318

Abstract

Aim. To examine subscale and total scores of NEI-VFQ questionnaire of type 2 diabetes patients at different diabetic retinopathy (DRP) stages. Methods. A total number of 201 patients have been included. Prior to ophthalmological examination all patients participated in the NEI-VFQ questionnaire. The patients were divided into 5 groups according to the International Clinical Diabetic Retinopathy Disease Severity Scale (ICDRS). Results. The diabetes duration in general health scores (p = 0.029); the stage (p = 0.011); and clinically significant macular edema (CSME) (p = 0.019) in general vision were found to be the most efficient factors. In near vision activities the most efficient factors were near vision acuity (NVA) (p = 0.0001) and DRP stage (p = 0.020). EDTRS visual acuity was found to be the most efficient factor in vision specific role difficulties (p = 0.034) and dependency (p = 0.011) whereas Snellen visual acuity was found to be among the most effective factors in distance activities (DA) (p = 0.014) and total scores (p = 0.026). Discussion. Difference was based not on the diabetes duration, clinically significant cataract (CSCat), CSME presence, and DRP stage but on the visual acuity levels of the better seeing eye of the patients.

Highlights

Visual acuity is an important criterion in order to measure a multidimensional function like vision, it still cannot enlighten us enough to understand completely how the life styles of the patients are affected from the visual function of said patients
Even in cases where retinopathy does not lead to decrease in visual acuity, the function of sight is affected in different ways and the living quality of patients can decrease [6,7,8,9]
In our study we aimed to investigate the sub scale and total scores of NEI-VFQ questionnaire in type 2 diabetic patients in different diabetic retinopathy (DRP) stages and the demographic and clinical characteristics that are most effective in said scores

Summary

Introduction

Visual acuity is an important criterion in order to measure a multidimensional function like vision, it still cannot enlighten us enough to understand completely how the life styles of the patients are affected from the visual function of said patients. Visual acuity will not be sufficient to define conditions such as emotionality depending on visual impairment, feeling of being incompetent, and social function loss. For this reason, several surveys have been developed in the recent years in order to investigate the effects of visual impairment to daily life [1]. American National Eye Institute Visual Function Scale (NEI-VFQ 25) is a questionnaire that has been developed in order to reach said aim [2]. In our study we aimed to investigate the sub scale and total scores of NEI-VFQ questionnaire in type 2 diabetic patients in different DRP stages and the demographic and clinical characteristics that are most effective in said scores

Objectives

Discussion

Conclusion