A recent study published in the Ophthalmology Science, assessed the safety concerns surrounding intravitreal VEGF inhibitors in the treatment of neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD). This nationwide register-based cohort analysis spanned for 16 years to assess the impact of VEGF inhibitor treatment on the risk of all-cause mortality and cardiovascular disease (CVD) among the patients with nAMD.
The findings of the study involved over 37,000 patients with nAMD exposed to VEGF inhibitors and nearly 1.9 million unexposed individuals without nAMD. On the positive side, the patients with nAMD undergoing VEGF inhibitor treatment showed a reduced risk of all-cause mortality when compared to their counterparts without nAMD. This finding suggests that VEGF inhibitor treatment may not just be effective in nAMD management but could also contribute to improved overall survival rates in these patients.
Also, the study uncovered an increased risk of CVD in patients with nAMD who were receiving VEGF inhibitors. While the exact mechanism behind this relationship remains unclear, it raises major queries about the systemic effects of VEGF inhibitors beyond their intended ocular benefits.
Additional analyses into the dosing patterns and timing of VEGF inhibitor exposure revealed precise results. While the decreased risk of all-cause mortality persisted across different dosing regimens, there was no significant association between VEGF inhibitor treatment and CVD when considering shorter exposure periods after injection.
The study provides crucial insights into the safety profile of VEGF inhibitors for nAMD patients with decreased risk of mortality that is mostly influenced by the factors beyond the direct physiological effects of VEGF inhibitors, such as the overall health status and resilience of patients undergoing this treatment.
Source:
Thinggaard, B. S., Frederiksen, K., Subhi, Y., Möller, S., Sørensen, T. L., Kawasaki, R., Grauslund, J., & Stokholm, L. (2024). VEGF Inhibition Associates With Decreased Risk of Mortality in Patients With Neovascular Age-related Macular Degeneration. In Ophthalmology Science (Vol. 4, Issue 3, p. 100446). Elsevier BV. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.xops.2023.100446