Time to Resolution of Diabetic Macular Edema after Treatment with Intravitreal Aflibercept Injection or Laser in VISTA and VIVID.

OBJECTIVE

To assess the relationship between baseline factors and time to diabetic macular edema (DME) resolution.

DESIGN

Post hoc analysis of VISTA and VIVID.

PARTICIPANTS

Eyes with baseline central subfield thickness (CST) of ≥ 290 μm.

INTERVENTION

Eyes were treated with intravitreal aflibercept injection (IAI) 2 mg (n = 558; every 4 weeks or every 8 weeks after 5 monthly doses) or laser control (n = 274). The effect of baseline factors on the time to DME resolution (CST < 290 μm) was assessed in univariable and multivariable models and further evaluated by the Kaplan-Meier method.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

Time to and cumulative incidence of DME resolution.

RESULTS

Eyes treated with IAI had a 2.5-fold higher DME resolution rate, with median time of 33.0 weeks (95% confidence interval [CI], 28.1-40.0), compared with DME resolution not being achieved in 50% of eyes treated with laser control. Multivariable analysis demonstrated that a lower DME resolution rate was associated with a thicker baseline CST (hazard ratio [HR] [95% CI] per 100-μm CST increase, 0.79 [0.72-0.86]) and better baseline best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) (HR [95% CI] per 5-letter increase, 0.87 [0.83-0.92]) with IAI. Tertiles of increasing CST (T1 ≤ 419 μm; T2 > 419 to ≤ 541; T3 > 541) were associated with longer median times to DME resolution (20.1, 39.1, and 49.1 weeks, respectively; P < 0.001 for T2 and T3 versus T1) and lower cumulative incidence of events (HR, 1.0, 0.6, and 0.6, respectively; P < 0.001 for T2 and T3 versus T1) with IAI. Tertiles of increasing BCVA (T1 ≤ 57 letters; T2 > 57 to ≤ 66; T3 >66) were associated with longer median times to DME resolution (28.4, 31.7, and 44.1 weeks, respectively; P < 0.05 for T3 versus T1) and lower cumulative incidence of events (HR, 1.0, 0.9, and 0.8, respectively; P < 0.05 for T3 versus T1) with IAI. No other baseline factor was associated with the time to DME resolution.

CONCLUSIONS

The median time to DME resolution was 33 weeks among IAI-treated eyes. A thicker baseline CST and better baseline BCVA in the IAI group were associated with a longer time to and a lower rate of DME resolution.