Study finds age impacts effectiveness of anti-VEGF treatments for diabetic macular edema

Researchers have found that older patients experience weaker responses to anti-VEGF treatments for diabetic macular edema (DME) compared to younger patients, according to a poster presented at ASRS 2024.

The study combined data from 4 major clinical trials to explore how age affects treatment outcomes in terms of visual acuity (VA) and central subfield thickness (CST), 2 critical measures of DME severity.

The analysis included data from 996 participants who received either aflibercept, bevacizumab, or ranibizumab. Participants were grouped by age: under 50, 50-59, 60-69, and 70 or older. The findings showed a clear trend: older patients, particularly those aged 70 and above, were more likely to have weaker responses to treatment compared to their younger counterparts.

The 2-year study revealed that the proportion of patients with weak VA response increased from 49% in those under 50 to 86% in those 70 and older. Similarly, the proportion of patients with a weak CST response rose from 44% to 64% over the same period. This age-related decline in treatment effectiveness was consistent across most of the anti-VEGF drugs studied, though some variations were noted.

The study also found that although the general trend of weaker responses with older age was evident across different drugs, the specific patterns varied. For instance, aflibercept showed a more pronounced age-related decline in treatment effectiveness compared to bevacizumab and ranibizumab.

Reference
Maguire M, et al. Association of Patient Age With Response to Anti-VEGF Agents for Treating Diabetic Macular Edema. Poster presented at: ASRS 42nd Annual Meeting: July 17–20, 2024.