How much does late stage glaucoma cost?

Late stage glaucoma is associated with considerable health and social care costs and a lower visual acuity (VA) is also predictive of a lower quality of life, according to John Thygesen from University Hospital Copenhagen, Denmark and colleagues from France, the UK and Germany.

In order to estimate the societal costs and quality of life among patients with late stage primary open angle glaucoma (POAG), the charts of 162 such patients from Germany, France, the UK and Denmark were reviewed and patients interviewed.

Mean VA was 0.28 and 0.11 in the best and worst eye, respectively. Annual health maintenance costs were €830, excluding costs of surgery, whilst costs of devices and of home care averaged €2,045 and €2,703 per patient per year, respectively. The average quality of life score was 0.67 and the best predictor of quality of life was found to be visual acuity in the patient's best eye.

The study clearly demonstrates that late stage glaucoma is associated with considerable health and social care costs.