Quality of life of patients with glaucoma

Relevance Glaucoma is a chronic progressive disease. Control of intraocular pressure (IOP) is a key factor in stabilizing glaucomatous neuropathy [1]. To date, many studies have been conducted on the quality of life with glaucoma. Standardized questionnaires have been developed, a nonlinear relationship has been established between quality of life and quantitative indicators such as visual acuity and field of vision [2]. Despite the fact that drug and surgical treatments most often allow for IOP compensation, they can be accompanied by side effects that negatively affect quality of life and adherence to long-term therapy. Surgical treatments have the greatest hypotensive effect, but in some cases they can also affect the quality of life of patients, including due to psychological factors, especially in the early stages of the disease [3, 4]. Due to the emergence of new microinvasive antiglaucoma interventions, the relevance of studying the quality of life of patients after surgical treatment is increasing. Given the above, visual impairment should be considered as a direct cause of patient disability and deterioration in quality of life. This emphasizes the importance of the ultimate goal of glaucoma treatment - vision preservation. It is always necessary to consider the possible negative impact of antiglaucoma interventions and strive to minimize them [5]. In addition to traditional methods aimed at indirect neuroprotection through IOP reduction, it is possible to use drugs that affect the metabolism and survival of retinal ganglion cells. The combined use of antihypertensive drugs and neuroprotectors significantly increases the effectiveness of treatment. Conclusion Given the variety of approaches to glaucoma treatment and the emergence of new microinvasive interventions, long-term assessment of the quality of life of patients with glaucoma during and after treatment remains an urgent task. Keywords: quality of life; glaucoma; trabeculectomy; microinvasive antiglaucoma surgery; neuroprotective therapy