National Eye Institute Visual Function Scale in Type 2 Diabetes Patients

Abstract

Aim. To examine subscale and total scores of NEI-VFQ questionnaire of type 2 diabetes patients at different diabetic retinopathy (DRP) stages.Methods. A total number of 201 patients have been included. Prior to ophthalmological examination all patients participated in the NEI-VFQ questionnaire. The patients were divided into 5 groups according to the International Clinical Diabetic Retinopathy Disease Severity Scale (ICDRS).Results. The diabetes duration in general health scores (p=0.029); the stage (p=0.011); and clinically significant macular edema (CSME) (p=0.019) in general vision were found to be the most efficient factors. In near vision activities the most efficient factors were near vision acuity (NVA) (p=0.0001) and DRP stage (p=0.020). EDTRS visual acuity was found to be the most efficient factor in vision specific role difficulties (p=0.034) and dependency (p=0.011) whereas Snellen visual acuity was found to be among the most effective factors in distance activities (DA) (p=0.014) and total scores (p=0.026).Discussion. Difference was based not on the diabetes duration, clinically significant cataract (CSCat), CSME presence, and DRP stage but on thevisual acuitylevels of the better seeing eye of the patients.