Obeid A, et al. - Among patients with neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD) after anti-VEGF injections, researchers sought to report the rates of loss to follow-up (LTFU). They also identified the risk factors associated with LTFU in this population. After anti-VEGF injections, high rate of LTFU was found among patients with nAMD and multiple risk factors associated with LTFU were identified among this population.

Methods

• Experts conducted a retrospective cohort study of data from 9007 patients who received anti-VEGF injections for treatment of nAMD performed at an urban, private retina practice with multiple locations from April 1, 2012, to January 12, 2016.
• Main outcomes and measures included the rates of LTFU after anti-VEGF injections.
• They defined the loss to follow-up as receipt of 1 or more injections with no subsequent follow-up visit within 12 months.

Results

• As per data, among the 9007 patients (mean [SD] age, 81.2 [8.8] years; 5917 [65.7%] female; 7905 [87.8%] white), 2003 (22.2%) were LTFU.
• Compared with patients 80 years of age and younger, odds of LTFU were greater among patients 81 to 85 years of age (odds ratio [OR], 1.58; 95% CI, 1.38-1.82; P < .001), 86 to 90 years of age (OR, 2.29; 95% CI, 2.00-2.62;P < v.001), and more than 90 years of age (OR, 3.31; 95% CI, 2.83-3.86;P < .001.
• Compared to the odds of LTFU among white patients, odds of LTFU among African American patients (OR, 1.47; 95% CI, 1.00-2.16;P=.05), Asian patients (OR, 2.63; 95% CI, 1.71-4.03;P< .001), patients of other race (OR, 3.07; 95% CI, 1.38-6.82;P=.006), and patients of unreported race (OR, 2.29; 95% CI, 1.96-2.68;P < .001) were greater.
• Odds of LTFU were greater among patients with regional adjusted gross income of $50,000 or less (OR, 1.52; 95% CI, 1.30-1.79;P< .001), $51 000 to $75,000 (OR, 1.35; 95% CI, 1.17-1.56;P < .001), and $76 000 to $100,000 (OR, 1.28; 95% CI, 1.08-1.50;P=.004) compared with patients with incomes greater than $100,000.
• Compared with patients who lived 10 miles or less from the clinic, odds of LTFU for patients living 21 to 30 miles (OR, 1.33; 95% CI, 1.05-1.69;P=.02) and more than 30 miles (OR, 1.55; 95% CI, 1.28-1.88; P.001) from clinic were greater.
• Findings suggested greater odds of LTFU among patients who received unilateral injections (OR, 1.44; 95% CI, 1.28-1.61;P < .001) than among patients who received bilateral injections.