SOCIAL ISOLATION SYNDROME AMONG PATIENTS WITH AGE-RELATED MACULAR DEGENERATION

Objective. To study the prevalence of social isolation syndrome (SIS) in patients with age-related macular degeneration (AMD). Material and methods. The study involved 548 patients with AMD (disease duration from 2 to 4 years) of different ages (18–39 years, 40–49 years, 50–59 years, 60–69 years, 70–79 years). The control group included 205 patients without AMD of the same age groups. To diagnose SIS, a modified version of the social isolation index was used. Results. The prevalence of SIS in patients with AMD was 12.34 cases per 100 examined. The lowest prevalence was observed in the age group 18–39 years (5.21 cases per 100 examined), the highest – in the age group 70–79 years (22.35 cases per 100 examined). Comparison of the social isolation index in the study groups showed that patients with AMD develop more severe degrees of SIS. Conclusion. The prevalence of SSI in patients with AMD has a pronounced dependence on age. Also, SSI is statistically significantly more often detected in patients with AMD compared to patients without AMD, which indicates the importance of correcting visual deficits and expanding social contacts of these patients.