Title:Effect of Intravitreal Injection of Aflibercept on Cardiovascular Risk Parameters in Patients with Neovascular Age-Related Macular Degeneration
Volume: 16
Issue: 3
Author(s): Constantinos D. Georgakopoulos, Athina Pallikari, Panagiotis Plotas, Konstantinos Kagkelaris, Stylianos Mastronikolis, Maria Plota, Andreas Emmanuil and Olga E. Makri*
Affiliation:
- Department of Ophthalmology, University of Patras, Medical School, Patras,Greece
Keywords:
Aflibercept, age-related macular degeneration, cardiovascular risk, homocysteine, total cholesterol, triglycerides,
high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, C-reactive protein.
Abstract:
Objective: Systemic administration of anti-Vascular Endothelial Growth Factors (anti-
VEGFs) has been associated with severe cardiovascular adverse events in oncologic patients.
The purpose of this pilot study is to evaluate the short-term effect of a single intravitreal injection
of aflibercept on biomarkers related to increased risk of cardiovascular disease.
Patients and Methods: Forty-seven treatment naïve patients with neovascular age-related macular
degeneration in one eye were enrolled in the study. The patients underwent treatment with one intravitreal
injection of aflibercept in the affected eye. Laboratory biomarkers of cardiovascular disease
were evaluated before the first intravitreal injection of aflibercept and at 7 and 30 days after
aflibercept administration. More precisely, we evaluated the levels of homocysteine, total cholesterol,
triglycerides, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol and Creactive
protein.
Results: There was not any statistically significant change in the levels of the evaluated parameters
up to one month after the first intravitreal injection of aflibercept.
Conclusion: According to our study, the administration of a single dose of aflibercept in eyes with
neovascular age-related macular degeneration does not seem to affect the evaluated biomarkers
that are related to cardiovascular disease.
