Driving and Visual Acuity in Patients with Age-Related Macular Degeneration

Purpose To assess driving status, habitual visual acuity (VA) in the better-seeing eye, and self-reported driving difficulty among patients diagnosed with age-related macular degeneration (AMD). Design Cross-sectional cohort study of 553 AMD patients’ habitual VA, self-reported driving status, and driving difficulty at time of interview. Participants Patients diagnosed with AMD and recruited into the University of Colorado registry. Methods Measurement of habitual VA by median logarithm of the minimum angle of resolution (logMAR) and Snellen equivalent, as well as 3 categories: 20/40 or better, 20/50 or 20/60, and worse than 20/60. Driving difficulty was self-reported on the 25-item National Eye Institute Visual Function Questionnaire. Main Outcome Measures Self-reported driving status and driving difficulty. Results A total of 394 patients (71.2%) reported currently driving at time of study interview. Drivers were significantly younger than nondrivers (mean age, 76.7 years vs. 83.9 years; P P  = 0.0002). Median habitual VA in the better-seeing eye was better among drivers: 0.097 logMAR (Snellen equivalent, 20/25) versus 0.301 logMAR (Snellen equivalent, 20/40) for nondrivers ( P Conclusions In our study, most patients with AMD who were currently driving had at least 20/40 VA in the better-seeing eye. However, 12.4% of patients had VA of 20/50 or worse and reported more difficulties with driving. As the aging population continues to grow with increasing lifespan, the number of patients with AMD will increase, and discussion of driving and VA will become more clinically and legally pertinent.