Utility values in Japanese patients with exudative age-related macular degeneration

To investigate the utility values associated with visual loss due to age-related macular degeneration (AMD) in Japanese patients. Utility values in 48 Japanese patients with bilateral exudative AMD were measured using the time trade-off and standard gamble methods. The time trade-off method utility values correlated with the best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) in the better-seeing eye. The estimated utility values according to the BCVA in the better-seeing eye were 0.534 (BCVA, 0.01-0.15), 0.574 (0.2-0.3), 0.613 (0.4-0.6), and 0.653 (0.7-1.0). The utility values obtained by the standard gamble method were not significantly correlated with BCVA in the betterseeing eye. The present results concur with those of previous studies showing that AMD causes a substantial decrease in patient utility values. The utility values obtained in the current study provide important information for use in cost-utility analysis of interventions for Japanese AMD patients.