Skip to main content

  • Anti-VEGF treatment appears unrelated to cardiovascular risk in those with RVO

    Retina/Vitreous

    Add to My Bookmarks

    Review of: VEGF inhibition in retinal vein occlusion does not associate with cardiovascular morbidity or mortality

    Frederiksen K, Stokholm L, Möller S, et al. Ophthalmology Retina, August 2023

    Among a large cohort of Danish patients with retinal vein occlusion (RVO), treatment with anti-VEGF agents does not appear to increase the risk of composite cardiovascular disease or all-cause mortality.

    Study design

    This was a prospective cohort study of patients with RVO from January 2012 through December 2018 using Danish nationwide registries. The study compared patients with any record of having received an anti-VEGF agent for RVO (n = 3508) to those who were unexposed (n = 3727) and conducted a hazards analysis to evaluate the effect of anti-VEGF treatment on incident cardiovascular disease and all-cause mortality.

    Outcomes

    There was no increased risk of composite cardiovascular disease (HR 1.07) or all-cause mortality (HR 0.88) in patients with RVO who were treated with anti-VEGF compared to those who did not receive anti-VEGF treatment. The only disease subgroup that showed potentially increased risk associated with anti-VEGF treatment was intracranial hemorrhage, although the authors note that higher-powered population-based studies are necessary to determine whether a relationship truly exists.

    Limitations

    The registries used do not give information on the severity of RVO, which may impact the risk and severity of cardiovascular disease.

    Clinical significance

    This study reaffirms the results of previous studies and validates discussions with patients regarding risks and benefits of anti-VEGF treatment with continued confidence that these treatments appear safe for patients with RVO.

    Financial Disclosures: Dr. Rebecca Soares discloses no financial relationships.