Neovascular age-related macular degeneration in Germany - Encroachment on the quality of life and the financial implications

Approximately 35,000 cases of neovascular age-related macular degeneration (AMD) occur annually in Germany. The neovascular form of AMD (NV-AMD) is responsible for severe vision loss associated with the disease in 90% of the cases. This study was conducted to assess the humanistic and economic burden of NV-AMD in the German population. A cross-sectional, observational study of subject self-reported functional health, well-being, and disease burden among elderly subjects with (n=83) and without (n=93) NV-AMD in Germany was conducted. Patients participated in telephone surveys involving the National Eye Institute Visual Function Questionnaire (NEI-VFQ-25), the EuroQol (EQ-5D), the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), and also reported history of falls, fractures, and healthcare resource utilization. Furthermore, the healthcare utilization and unit costs for the NV-AMD patients were calculated. The mean age of NV-AMD patients was 77.2 years and 64% were female. NV-AMD patients reported significantly worse vision-related function and overall well-being than controls (adjusted mean scores: NEI-VFQ-25 overall scale: 51.3 vs 96.3; p < 0.0001) and significantly more depression symptoms than controls (HADS depression: 6.2 vs. 2.7; p < 0.0001). NV-AMD patients also reported that the need for assistance with daily activities was more than 10 times greater compared to controls (26.5% vs. 2.2%; p < 0.0001) and the prevalence of falls was 3 times that of the control group (13.3% vs 4.3%; p=0.031). Annual NV-AMD costs per patient were a,not sign 9871, 6 times that of elderly patients without NV-AMD (a,not sign 1559). Of the NV-AMD costs one-half were direct non-medical-related costs (assistance of ADL or social benefit) and one-third were direct medical costs. NV-AMD is associated with decreased functional abilities and quality of life, which result in an increase in healthcare resource utilization. Consequently, costs were higher for NV-AMD patients compared to controls. These findings emphasize the need for new NV-AMD treatments that will prevent vision loss and progression to blindness, and lessen the ensuing economic burden. Sponsored by Pfizer Inc. New York, US.