Intravitreal ziv-aflibercept improves vision outcomes in diabetic macular oedema

The use of intravitreal ziv-aflibercept (IVZ) in diabetic macular oedema (DME) improves best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) and reduces central macular thickness (CMT), a recent study has found.

Researchers retrospectively assessed 25 eyes from 17 DME patients (mean age 60.82 years, 11 men). The primary outcome was BCVA 6 months after IVZ treatment; meanwhile, secondary endpoints were 12-month changes in BCVA, changes in CMT, and adverse side effects.

Over an average follow-up of 9.52 months, mean BCVA improved from 0.65 logMAR at baseline to 0.34 (p<0.0001) and 0.22 (p=0.0004) logMAR at 6 and 12 months, respectively. Of note, 12 eyes (48 percent) had a visual gain of ≥3 lines at 6 months; four of these eyes (33.3 percent) retained such improvement until 1 year.

Moreover, researchers recorded a mean decrease in CMT, from 449.4 µm at baseline to 293.1, 274.4, and 268.9 µm at 3, 6, and 12 months after IVZ (p<0.0001 for all).

Similarly, while 100 percent of eyes had intraretinal fluid at baseline, this proportion dropped to 72.2 percent at 3 months, and to 48 percent and 75 percent at 6 and 12 months. At all time points, significantly fewer eyes had intraretinal fluid as compared with baseline (p<0.0001 for all).

In terms of safety, intraocular pressure was raised in four eyes during IVZ treatment, while one patient (with a history of systemic hypertension) developed severe hypertension 6 months after starting IVZ.

“A limitation of this study is that it is a retrospective case series, with a small number of eyes,” the researchers said. “Prospective randomized studies are required to support these findings.”