Vision-related quality of life in Japanese patients with wet age-related macular degeneration treated with intravitreal aflibercept in a real-world setting

Purpose To evaluate vision-related quality of life (QoL) in wet age-related macular degeneration (wAMD) patients receiving intravitreal aflibercept (IVT-AFL). Study design Prospective, observational Japanese postmarketing surveillance study. Methods All decisions were made by the treating physician. QoL was assessed using the 25-item National Eye Institute-Visual Functioning Questionnaire (NEI-VFQ-25) composite score administered at baseline, 6 months, and 12 months (primary assessment). Secondary assessments included NEI-VFQ-25 subscale scores, resource use, and best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA; logarithm of the minimum angle of resolution [logMAR]). Results In total, 576 patients (baseline), 555 patients (6 months), and 446 patients (12 months) were included. The mean (SD) number of IVT-AFL injections was 3.5 (1.2) at 6 months and 4.6 (2.2) at 12 months. The mean (SD) improvement from baseline in the NEI-VFQ-25 composite score was 3.1 (11.1) at 6 months and 2.7 (12.3) at 12 months (P < .0001). For the NEI-VFQ-25 subscale scores, the mean change was >= 4 (minimally important difference) for general vision, near vision, and mental health at 6 months, and for general vision and mental health at 12 months (all P < .0001). A significant improvement from baseline was found in mean BCVA (logMAR) at 6 months (-0.1) and 12 months (-0.1) (P < .0001). The mean change from baseline in the NEI-VFQ-25 scores was greatest in patients with improved BCVA (gain of <= -0.3 logMAR units or >= 15 letters) after treatment. Conclusion IVT-AFL was associated with significant improvements in QoL and visual acuity in Japanese patients with wAMD in a real-world setting.