Geographic atrophy (GA) leads to significant visual decline over 3 years, with older age, moderate baseline visual impairment, and the presence of neovascular AMD (nAMD) in the fellow eye being key risk factors for worse outcomes, according to a study.
The retrospective analysis included 18,712 eyes with GA and a mean patient age of 78.6 year. The average baseline visual acuity was 67.5 letters (Snellen equivalent 20/45). Within 36 months, 18.9% of eyes progressed to nAMD, with a relative risk 2.34 times higher in eyes where the fellow eye already had nAMD.
Visual acuity in eyes without nAMD declined by an average of 12.4 letters, with older age and moderate baseline visual impairment (20/40-20/100) linked to faster deterioration. The worst outcomes were observed in the oldest patients with moderate impairment, who lost an average of 19.7 letters over 3 years.
By the study’s end, 70% of eyes fell below the vision threshold for driving (≤20/40), 42% had low vision (≤20/70), and 23% were legally blind (≤20/200).
Reference
Shughoury A, Boucher N, Aggarwal N, et al. Three-year clinical outcomes in geographic atrophy: an analysis of 18,712 patient eyes. Retina. 2025 Feb 1;45(2):188-197. doi: 10.1097/IAE.0000000000004285. PMID: 39724670.
This content is independent editorial sponsored by Astellas. Astellas had no input in the development of this content.
Related Content
