Age doesn’t appear to be a factor in the presentation of retinal vein occlusion (RVO) or visual outcomes with anti-VEGF therapy, according to a new study in the Canadian Journal of Ophthalmology.

A research team conducted a single-center, retrospective chart review that included 295 treatment-naïve RVO patients. The subjects were divided into groups based on age: Group A (22-61 years), Group B (62-70 years), Group C (71-79 years) and Group D (80-95 years).

The study considered central subfield thickness (CST), cubic volume, cubic average thickness and visual acuity (VA) outcomes at baseline and again at six and 12 months after treatment. The primary outcome of the study was CST at 12 months after anti-VEGF therapy.

The starting CST baseline for groups A, B, C and D was 406.3±161.2μm, 463.4±165.5μm, 470.6±187μm and 427.3±187.2μm, respectively. Compared with baseline readings, investigators observed no significant differences in CST between any of the groups at six or 12 months.

The mean baseline VA, measured with Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy letters, for groups A, B, C and D was 55.8 ± 19.5, 54.4 ± 19.8, 54.7 ± 19, and 51.4 ± 20.4, respectively, and this did not significantly differ between age groups at six or 12 months.

Dewan KS, Hentati F, Greenlee TE, et al. Age-related differences in presentations and outcomes of anti-VEGF treatment of retinal vein occlusion. Canadian J Ophthalmol. October 8, 2020. [Epub ahead of print].