Comorbid Depression and Anxiety Risk in Older Individuals with Geographic Atrophy: A US Claims Data Analysis

Area of Science:

• Ophthalmology
• Mental Health
• Epidemiology

Background:

• Geographic atrophy (GA) is an advanced stage of nonexudative age-related macular degeneration (AMD) leading to progressive central vision loss.
• While GA's impact on vision-related quality of life is known, the co-occurrence of depression and anxiety in GA patients requires further investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the risk of comorbid depression and anxiety in patients diagnosed with geographic atrophy (GA).
• To compare mental health outcomes and healthcare resource utilization (HCRU) between GA patients and a matched control group.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective, noninterventional cohort study using three large US claims databases (Clinformatics®, MarketScan, PharMetrics).
• Patients aged ≥50 years with GA were propensity score-matched (1:2) to controls without GA.
• Outcomes included time to mental health diagnosis, relative risks (RR) for depression/anxiety, and HCRU, stratified by eye and subfoveal involvement.

Main Results:

• Across datasets, patients with GA showed a significantly higher risk for depression (RR 1.24-1.36) and anxiety (RR 1.17-1.33) compared to controls.
• The highest risk for comorbid depression and anxiety was observed in patients with bilateral GA involving subfoveal areas.
• Patients with GA also exhibited significantly higher healthcare resource utilization (HCRU) than the control group.

Conclusions:

• Patients with geographic atrophy (GA) have an elevated risk of comorbid depression or anxiety compared to matched controls.
• The mental health burden, particularly depression and anxiety, is greatest in individuals with bilateral GA affecting subfoveal regions.
• These findings underscore the significant mental health challenges faced by patients with GA, necessitating integrated care approaches.