One-Year Anti-VEGF Therapy Outcomes in Diabetic Macular Edema Based on Treatment Intensity: Data from the Fight Retinal Blindness! Registry.

PURPOSE: To compare 1-year outcomes of eyes with diabetic macular edema (DME) treated in routine clinical practice based on the proportion of visits where intravitreal VEGF inhibitor injections were delivered. DESIGN: Cohort study. PARTICIPANTS: There were 2288 treatment-naive eyes with DME starting intravitreal VEGF inhibitor therapy from October 31, 2015 to October 31, 2021 from the Fight Retinal Blindness! international outcomes registry. METHODS: Eyes were grouped according to the proportion of visits at which an injection was received, Group A with less than the median of 67% (n = 1172) versus Group B with greater than the median (n = 1116). MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Mean visual acuity (VA) change after 12 months of treatment. RESULTS: The mean (95% confidence interval [CI]) VA change after 12 months of treatment was 3.6 (2.8-4.4) letters for eyes in Group A versus 5.2 (4.4-5.9) letters for eyes in Group B (P = 0.005). The mean (95% CI) central subfield thickness (CST) change was -69 (-76 to -61) µm and -85 (-92 to -78) µm for eyes in Group A versus Group B, respectively (P = 0.002). A moderate positive correlation was observed between the number of injections received over 12 months of treatment and the change in VA (P < 0.001). Additionally, eyes that received more injections had a moderately greater CST reduction. CONCLUSIONS: This registry analysis found that overall VA and anatomic outcomes tended to be better in DME eyes treated at a greater proportion of visits in the first year of intravitreal VEGF inhibitor therapy. FINANCIAL DISCLOSURE(S): Proprietary or commercial disclosure may be found in the Footnotes and Disclosures at the end of this article.

European Unmet Needs in the Management of Neovascular Age-Related Macular Degeneration in Daily Practice: Data from the Fight Retinal Blindness! Registry.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the proportion, predictors, and outcomes of patients with neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD) treated with a high burden of VEGF inhibitor intravitreal (IVT) injections after 2 years in routine clinical practice. DESIGN: Retrospective analysis of data from a prospectively designed observational outcomes registry, the Fight Retinal Blindness! Project, of patients treated in European centers. PARTICIPANTS: Treatment-naïve eyes (1 eye per patient) starting VEGF inhibitors for nAMD from January 2017 to March 2020 with 24 months of follow-up. We analyzed the following 3 treatment-burden groups defined by the mean interval of the 3 closest injections to the 24-month visit: (1) those with a high-treatment burden had injection intervals ≤ 42 days, (2) those with a low-treatment burden had injection intervals between 43 and 83 days; and (3) those with tolerable treatment burden had injection intervals between 84 and 365 days. METHODS: Multinomial regression was used to evaluate baseline risk predictors of patients requiring a high-treatment burden. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The proportion of patients that experienced a high-treatment burden at 2 years and its predictors. RESULTS: We identified 2038 eligible patients completing 2 years of treatment (2038/3943 patients [60%]) with a median (quartile 1, quartile 3) of 13 (10, 17) injections. The proportion of patients with a high-treatment burden was 25% (516 patients) at 2 years. Younger patients (odds ratio [OR], 0.97; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.96-0.99; P < 0.01) were more likely to have high-treatment burden, whereas eyes with type 3 choroidal neovascular lesions at baseline were significantly less likely (OR, 0.26; 95% CI, 0.13-0.52; P < 0.01). Regarding type of fluid, patients with subretinal fluid only at baseline (OR, 3.85; 95% CI, 1.34-11.01; P = 0.01) and persistent active intraretinal (OR, 1.56; 95% CI, 1.18-2.06; P < 0.01) or subretinal fluid only (OR, 2.21; 95% CI, 1.52-3.21; P < 0.01) after the loading phase had a higher risk of high treatment burden at 2 years. CONCLUSIONS: High treatment burden is a common issue in routine clinical practice in Europe, with a quarter of patients requiring injections of conventional VEGF inhibitors every 6 weeks at 2 years and 40% discontinuing treatment within 2 years. FINANCIAL DISCLOSURE(S): Proprietary or commercial disclosure may be found in the Footnotes and Disclosures at the end of this article.

Cross-Sectional Study on Vitamin D, Zinc Oxide and Fatty Acid Status in a Population with a Moderate to High Risk of AMD Identified by the STARS® Questionnaire.

INTRODUCTION: A prospective study was carried out in Belgium to determine the proportion of subjects with a moderate to high risk of developing age-related macular degeneration (AMD), identified using the STARS® (Simplified Théa AMD Risk-Assessment Scale) questionnaire, who were in need of nutritional supplementation, by assessing the vitamin D, zinc oxide and fatty acid profile status. METHODS: This multicentre cross-sectional pilot study involved 50 Belgian subjects with no or early AMD, aged > 55 years who were at moderate to high risk for AMD. Subjects were assessed using the STARS® questionnaire, visual acuity assessment, an optical coherence tomography scan of the macula and fundus photography. Blood samples were collected, and serum analyses were performed to determine the the omega-6:omega-3 (Ω6:Ω3) ratio and the levels of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), zinc and cupric oxides and vitamin D. RESULTS: Abnormal serum levels for at least one of the micronutrients was detected in 94% of the subjects. Lower than optimal vitamin D levels were found in 76% of the participants, and 68% of the subjects demonstrated at least one abnormal fatty acid profile. The Ω6:Ω3 ratio was above the reference range for normal values in 54% of the subjects; DHA and EPA levels were below the reference range in 60 and 46% of the subjects, respectively; and zinc oxide concentration was below the reference range in 50% of the subjects. Only 12% of the subjects exhibited cupric oxide deficiency. CONCLUSION: In this study, the STARS® questionnaire was used for early identification of patients at moderate to high risk of AMD in real life. These patients presented a suboptimal nutritional status. Further research is needed to determine if specific diet modification or micronutrient supplement intake delays the onset or slows down the progression of AMD in these subjects. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.Gov, identifier: NCT04482465.

Intravitreal Aflibercept Treatment Strategies in Routine Clinical Practice of Neovascular Age-Related Macular Degeneration in Belgium: A Retrospective Observational Study.

INTRODUCTION: STELLAR was a Belgian, multicentre, retrospective, observational chart review that described the utilization (number of injections and treatment regimen) and effectiveness of intravitreal aflibercept (IVT-AFL) in patients with anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) treatment-naïve neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD) during the first 12 months of IVT-AFL treatment. METHODS: Patients initiating IVT-AFL between July 2013 and July 2017 were included in STELLAR. Primary endpoints were number of visits and IVT-AFL injections, and number of patients who received ≥ 7 versus < 7 IVT-AFL injections during the first 12 months of treatment. RESULTS: A total of 337 patients completed ≥ 12 months of IVT-AFL treatment. The mean number of visits and mean number of injections during the first 12 months was 9.8 and 7.1 injections, respectively (64% received ≥ 7 injections). Overall, 96% of patients received ≥ 3 initial monthly injections. Of the 337 patients, 180 received VT-AFL as needed (pro re nata), 141 received it as treat-and-extend dosing and 16 received it as fixed dosing. The proportion of patients who received treat-and-extend dosing increased year-on-year. Mean best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) (± standard deviation) was 61.6 (± 14.9) Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy Study (ETDRS) letters at baseline and improved by + 3.9 and + 5.7 ETDRS letters at 3 and 12 months, respectively. Mean BCVA improvement was numerically greater in patients who received ≥ 7 versus < 7 injections during the first 12 months 7 (+ 6.5 vs. + 4.4 ETDRS letters) and in patients who received ≥ 3 versus < 3 initial monthly injections (+ 5.2 vs. - 0.25 ETDRS letters [3 at months]; + 5.9 vs + 1.2 ETDRS letters [at 12 months]). No specific adverse events were reported. CONCLUSION: Most patients in this Belgian study received ≥ 7 IVT-AFL injections during a mean of 9.8 visits over the 12 months assessed. IVT-AFL was an effective treatment for nAMD in clinical practice, with numerically higher BCVA gains in patients receiving ≥ 7 versus < 7 injections over the first 12 months and ≥ 3 versus < 3 injections in the first 3 months.