Smoking and treatment outcomes of neovascular age-related macular degeneration over 12 months

2019 ◽  
Vol 104 (7) ◽  
pp. 893-898
Author(s):  
Harshil Dharamdasani Detaram ◽  
Nichole Joachim ◽  
Gerald Liew ◽  
Kim Van Vu ◽  
George Burlutsky ◽  
...  

BackgroundTo assess the association of smoking with age of onset of neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD), visual acuity (VA), central macular thickness (CMT) and the presence of fluid in patients with nAMD.Methods547 patients with nAMD were recruited from a tertiary eye clinic during 2012–2015; of these, 490 patients were followed up 12 months later. Clinical diagnosis of nAMD was confirmed by a retinal specialist. Smoking was determined from self-reported history as never, past or current. Age of onset was defined as date of first recorded diagnosis of nAMD in either eye or date of first anti-vascular endothelial growth factor injection. CMT and presence of fluid were recorded from spectral-domain optical coherence tomography images. VA was recorded as number of letters read at 3 m.ResultsAfter multivariable adjustment, current smokers developed nAMD at an average 5.5 years younger age than never smokers and 4.4 years younger age than past smokers (p<0.0001 and p=0.0008, respectively). At baseline, adjusted mean CMT was significantly higher in current compared with past smokers (259.2 µm vs 231.9 µm, respectively, p=0.04). Current smokers versus never smokers had greater odds of presence of subretinal fluid at 12-month follow-up: multivariable-adjusted OR 1.99 (95% CI 1.09 to 3.67). Smoking status was not significantly associated with VA over 12 months.ConclusionsCurrent smoking was associated with a younger age of nAMD onset and key treatment outcomes such as higher mean CMT and greater odds of subretinal fluid presence. These findings suggest that smoking cessation may benefit patients being treated for nAMD.

2019 ◽  
Vol 30 (5) ◽  
pp. 1082-1090
Author(s):  
Jordi Monés ◽  
Marc Biarnés ◽  

Importance: To provide new insights into aflibercept effect in non-naive-treated patients with neovascular age-related macular degeneration. Purpose: To assess the efficacy of intravitreal aflibercept in patients with neovascular age-related macular degeneration without optimal response to previous anti-vascular endothelial growth factor A therapy. Design: Single-arm, multi-centre, prospective study. Participants: Patients ⩾50 years with active neovascular age-related macular degeneration, best-corrected visual acuity between 20/32 and 20/320 with suboptimal response to ranibizumab or bevacizumab. Methods: Aflibercept was administered monthly (3-first months), and bimonthly thereafter until month 8. Anatomical and functional outcomes were assessed. Main outcome measure: Percentage of eyes without intra or subretinal fluid on optical coherence tomography after 3-monthly loading doses of aflibercept. Results: A total of 46 patients were included. At week 12, 45.7% (95% confidence interval: 31.5%–60.1%) of eyes showed no fluid on optical coherence tomography. The mean (standard deviation) best-corrected visual acuity increased from 65.1 (8.3) to 69.6 (8.1) letters (+4.5 (5.8) p < 0.0001) and was stabilized at week 40 as compared to baseline. Mean central macular thickness decreased from 430 (119) µm to 323 (100) µm at week 12 (–107 (90) µm, p < 0.0001) and was reduced at week 40 (–46 (111) µm, p = 0.0056). At week 40, 21.7% (95% confidence interval: 9.8%–33.7%) had no fluid. There was a case of presumed noninfectious endophthalmitis that was successfully managed. Conclusion: Almost half of patients presented no fluid on optical coherence tomography at week 12, and there was a clinically significant improvement in best-corrected visual acuity. At week 40, one in five patients did not show intra or subretinal fluid, central macular thickness decreased and best-corrected visual acuity was stabilized compared to baseline.


Eye ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 34 (12) ◽  
pp. 2249-2256 ◽  
Author(s):  
Usha Chakravarthy ◽  
Natasha Pillai ◽  
Annie Syntosi ◽  
Lorna Barclay ◽  
Catherine Best ◽  
...  

Abstract Background/objectives To investigate the association between optical coherence tomography (OCT) markers of lesion activity and changes in visual acuity (VA) during anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (anti-VEGF) therapy of eyes diagnosed with neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD); and how VA and OCT markers are considered in physicians’ decision to retreat with anti-VEGFs. Subjects/methods Retrospective, non-comparative, non-randomised cohort study involving electronic medical record data collected from 1190 patient eyes with nAMD diagnosis at two sites in the United Kingdom. Two sub-cohorts consisting of 321 and 301 eyes, respectively, were selected for analyses. Results In 321 eyes, absence of IRF or SRF at ≥2 clinic visits resulted in a gain of five ETDRS letters from baseline, compared with two letters gained in eyes with <2 clinic visits with absence of IRF (p = 0.006) or SRF (p = 0.042). Anti-VEGF treatment was administered at 421 clinic visits, and 308 visits were without treatment. Comparing treatment visits with non-treatment visits, the maximum difference in frequency of OCT markers of lesion activity were for intraretinal fluid (IRF; 24% versus 5%) and subretinal fluid (SRF; 32% versus 5%). Pigment epithelial detachment (PED) was reported in 58% of treatment visits compared with 36% in non-treatment visits. VA loss was not a consistent trigger for retreatment as it was present in 63% of injection visits and in 49% of non-injection visits. Conclusions Retreatment decision making is most strongly influenced by the presence of IRF and SRF and less by the presence of PED or VA loss.


2013 ◽  
Vol 06 (01) ◽  
pp. 58 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael W Stewart ◽  

Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) plays a central role in the development of several chorioretinal vascular disorders including exudative age-related macular degeneration (AMD). Detailed understanding of VEGF biochemistry has led to the development of four drugs which specifically inhibit its actions. Bevacizumab and ranibizumab have been the dominant ophthalmic anti-VEGF drugs for seven years and their regular use has significantly decreased vision loss. In late 2011, aflibercept, a high-affinity, fusion protein that acts as a soluble VEGF receptor, was approved for the treatment of exudative AMD. Phase three trials showed that monthly and bimonthly aflibercept maintained vision in 95 % of patients, improved average visual acuity by +8.3 to +9.4 letters, and thinned the macula comparably to monthly ranibizumab. Since its approval, aflibercept has been shown to decrease retinal edema and subretinal fluid, and flatten retinal pigment epithelial detachments in eyes that have responded incompletely to frequent ranibizumab and bevacizumab injections. Aflibercept’s longer duration of action coupled with its comparable unit price (versus ranibizumab) promise to decrease the total cost of treatment.


2021 ◽  
pp. 112067212110106
Author(s):  
Mehmet Ali Sekeroglu ◽  
Hilal Kilinc Hekimsoy ◽  
Tugce Horozoglu Ceran ◽  
Sibel Doguizi

Aim: To investigate the short-term effects of COVID-19 pandemic related unintended treatment lapses on neovascular age related macular degeneration (nAMD) patients. Methods: In this prospective cross-sectional study, 140 patients who had at least one anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) injection for nAMD within 12 months before COVID-19 pandemic and who had at least 3 months of unintended lapse for control visits during pandemic were recruited and underwent a detailed opthalmological examination and optical coherence tomography imaging. Results: Of these 140 eyes, 113 (80.7%) were active with presence of either intraretinal and/or subretinal fluid and necessitated intravitreal anti-VEGF injections; and 20 (14.3%) of them complicated with subretinal hemorrhage. The mean interval of clinical visits and intravitreal antiVEGF injections were found to be prolonged during COVID-19 pandemics, which demonstrates a statistically significant lapse for both ( p = 0.001 and p = 0.003 consecutively). The decreased visual acuity due to lapse was positively correlated with number of intravitreal anti-VEGF injections at last 6 months before COVID-19 pandemic ( r = 0.217, p = 0.010) and central subfoveal thickness at first post-COVID-19 visit ( r = 0.175, p = 0.038); and negatively correlated with follow-up duration ( r = −0.231, p = 0.006) and number of control visits ( r = −0.243, p = 0.004). Fifteen (16.9%) of the 89 patients who had drusen in the fellow eye before COVID-19 pandemic evolved to nAMD with an accompanying subretinal and/or intraretinal fluid. Conclusion: Unintended lapses during COVID-19 pandemic resulted with poor functional and structural outcomes for nAMD patients, especially for those at the beginning of the treatment period and who still have an unstable clinical course.


2020 ◽  
Vol 2020 ◽  
pp. 1-8
Author(s):  
Izumi Yoshida ◽  
Masashi Sakamoto ◽  
Asao Sakai ◽  
Takatoshi Maeno

We investigated the association between the duration of intraretinal fluid (IRF) or subretinal fluid (SRF) and the response to antivascular endothelial growth factor injection in patients with undertreated age-related macular degeneration (ARMD). The Ethics Committee of Toho University Sakura Medical Center approved this study (no. S18030). Eighty eyes of ARMD patients with VA ≤20/100 were retrospectively assessed. Each injection’s efficacy was classified, and the fluid accumulation prior to each injection was evaluated. The effect changes following to accumulated IRF, SRF, the longest persistent IRF period (≥10 months), and their determining factors were evaluated. Throughout observation, acquired refractoriness was rarely associated with increased accumulation of IRF or SRF. The injection span had a tendency to be short, and the polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy and occult choroidal neovasculopathy (CNV) proportions had a tendency to be higher among patients with diminished effects than among those with maintained effects. VA differed significantly with continuous IRF duration, but not with accumulated fluid. The diminishing effect of injections during long-standing IRF was rarely associated with undertreatment. The mechanism underlying acquired refractoriness remains unknown; the effect change demonstrated various patterns, including diminished and improved responses. The longest continuous IRF duration was associated with VA decline. Shortening the duration of continuous IRF may be necessary.


2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Izumi Yoshida ◽  
Masashi Sakamoto ◽  
Asao Sakai ◽  
Takatoshi Maeno

Abstract Backgrounds: To investigate the association between intraretinal fluid (IRF) or subretinal fluid (SRF) persistence and response to anti-vascular endothelial growth factor injection in age-related macular degeneration (ARMD). Methods: Eighty-nine eyes of ARMD patients with VA ≤ 20/100 or persistent subretinal hyper-reflective material were retrospectively assessed. Each injection’s efficacy was classified, and fluid accumulation prior to each injection was evaluated. Effect changes within the longest persistent IRF period (≥ 10 months) and their association with previous treatment and accumulated IRF and SRF were determined. Results: Injection span was shorter and the polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy and occult choroidal neovasculopathy (CNV) proportions were higher among patients with diminished than among those with maintained effects. Throughout observation, acquired refractoriness appeared rarely associated with increased IRF or SRF. VA differed significantly with IRF duration, but not accumulated fluid. Conclusions: Diminishing effect of injections during long- standing IRF was associated with highly active CNV rather than with undertreatment. The mechanism underlying acquired refractoriness remains unknown; the effect change demonstrated various patterns, including diminished and improved responses. Persistent IRF duration was associated with VA decline. To shorten the duration of persistent IRF, it may be necessary to ensure strict control in refractory patients with high CNV activity.


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