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Published on: April 11, 2025
Visual functioning in patients with macular degeneration compared to patients with cataracts
Reilley M Knott1, Nathan Grove2, Jennifer L Patnaik2
1University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora 80045-2581, CO, United States.
International Journal of Ophthalmology
|July 1, 2026
Summary
Patients with age-related macular degeneration (AMD) report better visual functioning than cataract patients, according to the Visual Functioning Questionnaire-25 (VFQ). This finding holds true across all tested subscales and after adjusting for key demographic and clinical factors.
Area of Science:
- Ophthalmology
- Vision Science
- Clinical Research
Background:
- Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and cataracts are leading causes of vision impairment.
- Patient-reported outcomes are crucial for understanding the impact of eye diseases on daily life.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare visual functioning outcomes between patients with age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and cataracts.
- To analyze differences in Visual Functioning Questionnaire-25 (VFQ) scores between these two patient groups.
Main Methods:
- A retrospective analysis of 415 early/intermediate AMD patients and 236 cataract patients who completed the VFQ-25.
- Univariate and multivariable linear regression models were used to compare VFQ composite scores, controlling for age, race/ethnicity, TIA/stroke history, and visual acuity.
Main Results:
- AMD patients had significantly higher VFQ composite scores (88.8±10.7) compared to cataract patients (82.8±14.5) (P<0.001).
- All VFQ subscales, including vision-related and socio-emotional aspects, showed higher scores in the AMD group.
- After adjustment, cataract patients had a 3.3-point lower VFQ composite score than AMD patients (95%CI: -5.3 to -1.4, P<0.001).
Conclusions:
- Early or intermediate AMD patients report superior visual functioning compared to cataract patients.
- These differences are evident in both unadjusted and adjusted analyses of VFQ composite scores and subscales.
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