Pharmaco-Therapeutic Factors Influencing the Quality of Life in Patients on Anti-Glaucoma Medications for the Treatment of Primary Open-angle Glaucoma: A Cross-Sectional Study

Abstract

Abstract Purpose: Vision significantly affects a person’s quality of life (QOL). This study aims to determine the pharmaco-therapeutic factors influencing it among patients on anti-glaucoma medications. Materials and Methods: A total of 100 patients diagnosed with primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG) on medications for six weeks were included in this cross-sectional study. QOL was assessed using a pre-validated Glaucoma Quality of Life-15 (GQOL-15) Questionnaire. Adverse drug reactions (ADRs) to the anti-glaucoma medications were determined using the pre-validated Comparison of Ophthalmic Medications for Tolerability (COMTOL) checklist. The Chi-square test, Fisher’s exact test and multiple logistic regression analysis were performed to test the statistical significance of the data. A P value of < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: Out of the 100 patients, 76 had good QOL and 24 had poor QOL. Among them, 67 patients were on a single drug, 27 were on a two-drug combination and six were on a three-drug combination for the management of glaucoma. Patients receiving multiple drugs for the management of POAG were associated with poor QOL (P = 0.006). Out of the other variables tested for association, the presence of ADRs, patients having a positive family history of POAG, patients with a duration of illness of more than three years, hypertensives and diabetics had a statistically significant association with poor QOL. Conclusion: POAG patients on multiple anti-glaucoma medications had poor QOL compared to those on a single drug. Multiple drug combinations caused a greater number of ADRs compared to single drug use. Patients with ADRs had poor QOL. The presence of co-morbidities like diabetes, hypertension and positive family history were associated with poor QOL.