Real-World Outcomes of Anti-Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Therapy for Neovascular Age-Related Macular Degeneration in Patients Aged 85 or Older

We investigated the treatment outcomes of patients aged ≥85 years with neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD) who received anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (anti-VEGF) therapy using either treat-and-extend (TAE) or pro re nata (PRN) regimens for 1 year in real-world clinical practice. Eighty-five eyes from 85 patients were included. Among them, types 1, 2, and 3 macular neovascularization and polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy were present in 27.1%, 17.6%, 18.8%, and 36.5%, respectively. TAE and PRN regimens were used in 43.5% and 56.5% of patients, respectively. At baseline, the PRN group was older and had worse best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA), greater central retinal thickness, and more intraretinal fluid than the TAE group. In the TAE group, the mean number of injections was 7.6, BCVA improved significantly, and all retinal fluid rates decreased. In the PRN group, the mean number of injections was 3.9, BCVA remained unchanged, and the rates of macular fibrosis and atrophy increased. No serious adverse events were observed in either group. Anti-VEGF therapy was safe for patients aged ≥ 85 years with nAMD, and the TAE regimen effectively improved BCVA in this population. BCVA remained unchanged in the PRN-treated patients, with baseline disease severity and/or undertreatment potentially influencing the outcomes.