To study the impact of diabetic retinopathy on quality of life in Indian diabetic patients

PURPOSE: To study the impact of diabetic retinopathy (DR) on the quality of life (QoL) of Indian patients with diabetes. METHODS: This cross-sectional tertiary health care institution-based study involved 250 patients of DR. They were interviewed using four questionnaires, namely, the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ), Final Quality of Life Instrument for Indian Diabetic Patients (QoLID) questionnaire for diabetes and questionnaire modified for DR, retinopathy dependent quality of life (RetDQoL), and coping strategy checklist (CSCL). RESULTS: The mean GHQ score was 1.12, indicating the absence of psychological morbidity. Mean QoLID score for financial worries and treatment satisfaction scores were 15 each for DR compared with 17 and 16, respectively, for diabetes mellitus (DM). The mean RetDQoL score was −27.94 (±2.14), showing the negative impact of DR on QoL. The mean CSCL score was 1.22 (±0.14), indicating infrequent use of coping strategies. Scores achieved by all four questionnaires correlated to each other. On subgroup analysis, proliferative DR (PDR) patients had a significantly higher GHQ score, lower treatment satisfaction, and more financial worries, with a poorer QoL than nonproliferative DR (NPDR). The severity of the disease had a negative impact on the QoL. The treatment satisfaction and psychological impact on the patients undergoing all types of eye treatments were comparable. CONCLUSION: DR has a significantly detrimental impact on the QoL, which increases with increasing severity of the disease.