Long-term persistence with aflibercept therapy among treatment-naïve patients with exudative age-related macular degeneration in a universal health care system: a retrospective study

Abstract

Abstract Background This study  aimed to analyse the persistence rates of treatment-naïve patients with neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD) who received intravitreal aflibercept therapy in a universal health care system. Methods In this single-centre retrospective cohort study, we audited data of 918 treatment-naïve patients who received exclusively intravitreal aflibercept therapy for nAMD between September 2015 and May 2021. The primary outcome measures were the rates of treatment nonpersistence (gap in ophthalmological care > 6 months) and long-term nonpersistence (> 12 months). Results The rates of nonpersistence and long-term nonpersistence were 12.3% and 3.4% after one year; 22.4% and 9.5% after two years; and 38.3% and 19.3% after five years, respectively. Logistic regression analysis revealed that older age (p = 0.045), male sex (p = 0.039), requirement for caretakers or ambulance (p = 0.001), and low visual acuity of the study eye (p = 0.010) or fellow eye (p = 0.029) were independent risk factors for long-term nonpersistence. Patients aged > 80 and > 85 years (p = 0.013 and p = 0.022, respectively) had more than twice the risk for being nonpersistent to therapy within two years of follow-up compared with younger patients. Male patients (p = 0.033), patients requiring a caretaker (p = 0.038), and patients living > 60 km from the clinic (p = 0.029) had a 2 × higher risk of being persistently nonpersistent to therapy. Conclusions Patients with nAMD who were treated with aflibercept had lower nonpersistence rates than those reported in current literature. Multiple independent risk factors were correlated with long-term nonpersistence, early nonpersistence, or complete loss to follow-up. Considering the possible consequences of reduced compliance, further strategies are urgently needed for patients at risk of nonpersistence to therapy.