Treating nAMD May Worsen Glaucoma Progression in Comorbid Eyes - MD Magazine

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A retrospective cohort investigation of patients successful Finland amusement a notable overlap of the 2 forms of imaginativeness loss.

Treating nAMD May Worsen Glaucoma Progression successful  Comorbid Eyes

Neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD) mostly coexists with glaucoma successful the aforesaid oculus astatine a complaint akin to that of the 2 diseases among the wide population, according to a caller retrospective analysis.

In caller information from a Finland squad of investigators, diligent eyes with concomitant nAMD and glaucoma were communal capable that clinicians whitethorn see altered strategies to anti-VEGF medication reflective of the request to navigate each chronic oculus disease.

Led by Inka Pirinen, MD, of the Tays Eye Center astatine Tampere University Hospital, investigators sought to measure the complaint of glaucoma and nAMD requiring anti-VEGF attraction occurring the aforesaid diligent eyes. They additionally wanted to measure whether progression of glaucoma is much terrible oregon predominant among eyes receiving intravitreal anti-VEGF injections versus those that are not.

“Glaucoma whitethorn beryllium much communal among patients with neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD) than without nAMD,” investigators wrote. “Although studies connected glaucoma progression during anti-VEGF attraction for nAMD springiness mixed results, repeated anti-VEGF injections person been associated with an accrued hazard of glaucoma and ocular hypertension.”

Pirinen and colleagues conducted the real-world retrospective information investigation utilizing Tays Eye Center’s diligent aesculapian records, consisting of 6314 glaucoma and 2166 nAMD patients treated from 2008 – 2017. They compared changes successful ocular fields, intraocular unit (IOP) and fundus photographs to construe glaucoma progression, comparing specified measures successful glaucoma eyes with and without anti-VEGF attraction for nAMD. They included ≥1 twelvemonth of follow-up.

During the decade’s worthy of data, investigators observed 147 patients with glaucoma who received intravitreal anti-VEGF attraction for nAMD, corresponding to 2% of glaucoma and 7% of nAMD patients.

Among the 37 eyes with glaucoma and anti-VEGF injections, mean alteration successful ocular field—per mean deviation (MD), dB/year—was -0.70, compared to lone -0.27 dB/year successful 4304 glaucoma eyes without anti-VEGF injections (P = .027).

Investigators additionally observed a greater diminution among 20 eyes with bilateral glaucoma treated with anti-VEGF injections (-0.62 dB/year), versus a flimsy betterment successful unilateral nAMD eyes treated with specified therapy (0.33 dB/year; P = .654). Glaucoma progression was observed successful 14 of 20 fundus photographs successful eyes with anti-VEGF treatment, versus 10 of 20 eyes that were untreated.

“Although earlier studies suggest an accrued hazard of glaucoma successful nAMD, the prevalence of glaucoma among nAMD patients treated with anti-VEGF did not disagree from the wide colonisation successful our study,” investigators wrote. “The fig of patients receiving aesculapian therapy for glaucoma successful Finland has been precocious reported to beryllium 7%–8% among 75–79 twelvemonth olds. That is, akin to our survey successful which 7% of patients with anti-VEGF-treatment for nAMD were treated for glaucoma.”

Pirinen and colleagues concluded that their findings amusement nAMD requiring anti-VEGF attraction occurs successful operation with glaucoma astatine a complaint akin to the wide population—with anticipation that this overlap whitethorn summation wrong the aging planetary population.

“Fortunately, glaucoma and nAMD requiring repeated intravitreal anti-VEGF injections bash not commonly hap successful the aforesaid patient,” they wrote. “When they bash hap concomitantly and evidently nAMD requires progressive treatment, the interaction of IOP spiking connected glaucoma progression needs to beryllium cautiously considered.”

The study, “Glaucoma progression successful patients receiving intravitreal anti-VEGF attraction for neovascular age-related macular degeneration,” was published online successful Acta Ophthalmologica.

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