INCIDENCE OF NEW DIABETIC MACULAR EDEMA IN FELLOW EYES OF PATIENTS IN THE VISTA AND VIVID STUDIES.

PURPOSE

To characterize diabetic macular edema (DME) incidence in fellow eyes of patients treated for DME in the study eye.

METHODS

This post hoc analysis of VISTA/VIVID data evaluated fellow eyes without DME at baseline through Week 100. Diabetic macular edema presence in the fellow eye was inferred by investigator-reported DME adverse events and use of DME treatments.

RESULTS

Over 100 weeks, 44.9%, 44.2%, and 42.9% of fellow eyes developed DME in the intravitreal aflibercept injection 2 mg every 4 weeks (n = 245), intravitreal aflibercept injection 2 mg every 8 weeks (n = 258), and laser control (n = 252) groups, respectively. Mean time to DME development in combined treatment groups was ∼6 months. Multivariable regression analysis confirmed patients with shorter diabetes duration (hazard ratio per 10-year decrease, 1.16; 95% confidence interval, 1.03-1.30; P = 0.0160) and thicker baseline study eye central subfield thickness (hazard ratio per 10- µ m increase, 1.01; 95% confidence interval, 1.01-1.02; P = 0.0002) were at higher risk of developing DME in the fellow eye.

CONCLUSION

Among patients with DME in one eye at baseline, almost half developed DME in the fellow eye over 2 years. Shorter duration of diabetes and thicker study eye central subfield thickness were predictors of DME development in the fellow eye.