BACKGROUND: Approximately 35,000 cases of neovascular age-related macular degeneration (AMD) occur annually in Germany. The neovascular form of AMD (NV-AMD) is responsible for severe vision loss associated with the disease in 90% of the cases. This study was conducted to assess the humanistic and economic burden of NV-AMD in the German population. METHODS: A cross-sectional, observational study of subject self-reported functional health, well-being, and disease burden among elderly subjects with (n=83) and without (n=93) NV-AMD in Germany was conducted. Patients participated in telephone surveys involving the National Eye Institute Visual Function Questionnaire (NEI-VFQ-25), the EuroQol (EQ-5D), the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), and also reported history of falls, fractures, and healthcare resource utilization. Furthermore, the healthcare utilization and unit costs for the NV-AMD patients were calculated. RESULTS: The mean age of NV-AMD patients was 77.2 years and 64% were female. NV-AMD patients reported significantly worse vision-related function and overall well-being than controls (adjusted mean scores: NEI-VFQ-25 overall scale: 51.3 vs 96.3; p<0.0001) and significantly more depression symptoms than controls (HADS depression: 6.2 vs. 2.7; p<0.0001). NV-AMD patients also reported that the need for assistance with daily activities was more than 10 times greater compared to controls (26.5% vs. 2.2%; p<0.0001) and the prevalence of falls was 3 times that of the control group (13.3% vs 4.3%; p=0.031). Annual NV-AMD costs per patient were <euro> 9871, 6 times that of elderly patients without NV-AMD (<euro> 1559). Of the NV-AMD costs one-half were direct non-medical-related costs (assistance of ADL or social benefit) and one-third were direct medical costs. CONCLUSIONS: NV-AMD is associated with decreased functional abilities and quality of life, which result in an increase in healthcare resource utilization. Consequently, costs were higher for NV-AMD patients compared to controls. These findings emphasize the need for new NV-AMD treatments that will prevent vision loss and progression to blindness, and lessen the ensuing economic burden. Sponsored by Pfizer Inc. New York, US.
BACKGROUND: Approximately 35,000 cases of neovascular age-related macular degeneration (AMD) occur annually in Germany. The neovascular form of AMD (NV-AMD) is responsible for severe vision loss associated with the disease in 90% of the cases. This study was conducted to assess the humanistic and economic burden of NV-AMD in the German population. METHODS: A cross-sectional, observational study of subject self-reported functional health, well-being, and disease burden among elderly subjects with (n=83) and without (n=93) NV-AMD in Germany was conducted. Patients participated in telephone surveys involving the National Eye Institute Visual Function Questionnaire (NEI-VFQ-25), the EuroQol (EQ-5D), the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), and also reported history of falls, fractures, and healthcare resource utilization. Furthermore, the healthcare utilization and unit costs for the NV-AMDpatients were calculated. RESULTS: The mean age of NV-AMDpatients was 77.2 years and 64% were female. NV-AMDpatients reported significantly worse vision-related function and overall well-being than controls (adjusted mean scores: NEI-VFQ-25 overall scale: 51.3 vs 96.3; p<0.0001) and significantly more depression symptoms than controls (HADS depression: 6.2 vs. 2.7; p<0.0001). NV-AMDpatients also reported that the need for assistance with daily activities was more than 10 times greater compared to controls (26.5% vs. 2.2%; p<0.0001) and the prevalence of falls was 3 times that of the control group (13.3% vs 4.3%; p=0.031). Annual NV-AMD costs per patient were <euro> 9871, 6 times that of elderly patients without NV-AMD (<euro> 1559). Of the NV-AMD costs one-half were direct non-medical-related costs (assistance of ADL or social benefit) and one-third were direct medical costs. CONCLUSIONS:NV-AMD is associated with decreased functional abilities and quality of life, which result in an increase in healthcare resource utilization. Consequently, costs were higher for NV-AMDpatients compared to controls. These findings emphasize the need for new NV-AMD treatments that will prevent vision loss and progression to blindness, and lessen the ensuing economic burden. Sponsored by Pfizer Inc. New York, US.
Authors: Päivi H Miskala; Barbara S Hawkins; Carol M Mangione; Eric B Bass; Neil M Bressler; Li Ming Dong; Marta J Marsh; Lee D McCaffrey Journal: Arch Ophthalmol Date: 2003-04
Authors: Gisèle Soubrane; Alan Cruess; Andrew Lotery; Daniel Pauleikhoff; Jordi Monès; Xiao Xu; Gergana Zlateva; Ronald Buggage; John Conlon; Thomas F Goss Journal: Arch Ophthalmol Date: 2007-09
Authors: Xinzhi Zhang; Kai McKeever Bullard; Mary Frances Cotch; M Roy Wilson; Barry W Rovner; Gerald McGwin; Cynthia Owsley; Lawrence Barker; John E Crews; Jinan B Saaddine Journal: JAMA Ophthalmol Date: 2013-05 Impact factor: 7.389
Authors: Sabrina Müller; Sophia Junker; Thomas Wilke; Albrecht Lommatzsch; Alexander K Schuster; Hakan Kaymak; Christoph Ehlken; Focke Ziemssen Journal: Int J Retina Vitreous Date: 2021-06-02