Abstract
Background
Socioeconomic deprivation is associated with higher odds of chronic diseases, with many individuals living with more than one illness. This study aimed to examine the relationship between deprivation and severity of glaucoma at diagnosis, an important risk factor for glaucoma blindness.
Methods
A retrospective study of 472 consecutive patients referred by community optometrists to the glaucoma clinic at a university hospital was performed. Glaucoma severity was determined by standard automated perimetry mean deviation (MD) in the worse eye. The Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation (SIMD) was determined for each patient as a measure of deprivation based on postcode. Regression analyses were performed to determine the relationship between visual field MD and SIMD.
Results
There was a significant relationship between higher levels of deprivation (lower SIMD) and worse severity of glaucoma at diagnosis. 32 of 472 patients (6.8%) had a MD of ≤−6 dB and 11 (2.3%) ≤−12 dB in their better eye. MD in the worse eye was 0.04 dB (95% CI 0.014 to 0.062 dB, P = 0.002) worse for each 100-point decrease in SIMD, with lower SIMD indicating a higher level of deprivation. A higher proportion of patients living in most deprived areas had a MD ≤ −6 dB or ≤ −12 dB at presentation compared to those living in the least deprived areas (14.3% versus 6.8% for ≤ −6 dB and 4.8% versus 0.8% for ≤ −12 dB).
Conclusions
Higher levels of deprivation were associated with worse glaucoma severity at presentation. The reasons for poorer outcomes in those from more deprived communities need further study so that inequalities can be addressed and the frequency of patients presenting with advanced glaucoma reduced.
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Data availability
The data generated and analysed during this study are available upon reasonable request from the corresponding author.
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TLW, JLA, SD and AJT contributed to study design. TLW was responsible for collecting data, interpreting data, and writing the report. JLA contributed to data collection and reviewing the report. FB and ADMcT contributed to the writing of the report and data analysis. AJT supervised the study, analysed data and reviewed the report.
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AJT:Consultant—Santen, AbbVie, Alcon, Thea, Sight Sciences, Roche. Research Support—AbbVie. Speaker—Santen, AbbVie, Alcon, Thea. The other authors declare no competing interests.
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Wong, T.L., Ang, J.L., Deol, S. et al. The relationship between multiple deprivation and severity of glaucoma at diagnosis. Eye 37, 3376–3381 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41433-023-02508-w
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41433-023-02508-w