National Eye Institute Visual Function Scale in Type 2 Diabetes Patients

Area of Science:

• Ophthalmology
• Endocrinology
• Public Health

Background:

• Diabetic retinopathy (DRP) significantly impacts vision and quality of life in type 2 diabetes patients.
• The NEI-VFQ questionnaire is a key tool for assessing vision-related functioning.
• Understanding factors influencing NEI-VFQ scores is crucial for patient management.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the relationship between diabetic retinopathy (DRP) severity and NEI-VFQ scores in type 2 diabetes patients.
• To identify specific factors, including visual acuity and disease characteristics, that influence different subscales of the NEI-VFQ.
• To determine the primary drivers of vision-related quality of life in this population.

Main Methods:

• 201 type 2 diabetes patients completed the NEI-VFQ questionnaire before ophthalmological examination.
• Patients were categorized into 5 groups based on the International Clinical Diabetic Retinopathy Disease Severity Scale (ICDRS).
• Statistical analysis identified significant factors correlating with NEI-VFQ subscale and total scores.

Main Results:

• Diabetes duration, DRP stage, and clinically significant macular edema (CSME) influenced general vision scores.
• Near vision acuity (NVA) and DRP stage were most impactful for near vision activities.
• EDTRS and Snellen visual acuity were key predictors for vision-specific role difficulties, dependency, distance activities, and total scores.

Conclusions:

• Visual acuity levels of the better-seeing eye, rather than diabetes duration, cataract, CSME, or DRP stage, were the primary determinants of NEI-VFQ scores.
• This highlights the critical role of visual acuity in maintaining vision-related quality of life for type 2 diabetes patients.
• Interventions aimed at improving visual acuity may significantly enhance the daily functioning and well-being of these patients.