Ocular Neovascular Conversion and Systemic Bleeding Complications in Patients with Age-Related Macular Degeneration on Anticoagulants

Abstract

PurposeConversion to neovascular disease in patients with non-neovascular age-related macular degeneration (AMD) initiated on direct oral anticoagulants (DOAC) compared to matched patients treated with warfarin. DesignRetrospective cohort study. Subjects, Participants, and/or ControlsThe study included 20,300 patients and 13,387 patients with non-neovascular AMD initiated on DOACs or warfarin, respectively, before propensity score matching (PSM). Methods, Intervention, or TestingTriNetX (Cambridge, MA, USA), was used to identify patients diagnosed with non-neovascular AMD stratified by treatment with DOACs or warfarin with at least six months of follow-up. Propensity score matching was performed to control for baseline demographics and medical comorbidities. Main Outcome MeasuresRelative risk (RR) of developing neovascular AMD, macular hemorrhage (MH), vitreous hemorrhage (VH), and requiring an ocular intervention (intravitreal anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) therapy or pars plana vitrectomy (PPV)) within six months and one year. Patients with chronic atrial fibrillation (AF) on anticoagulation were separately evaluated for the same measures within 5 years after initiating therapy. ResultsTreatment with warfarin was associated with higher risk of developing neovascular AMD at six months (RR,1.24, 95% CI, 1.12 – 1.39; P<.001) and one year (RR, 1.26, 95% CI, 1.14 – 1.40; P<.001) when compared to matched patients treated with DOACs. There was an increased risk of requiring intravitreal anti-VEGF therapy (6 months: RR, 1.30; 95% CI, 1.13-1.49; P<.001; 1 year: RR, 1.31, 95% CI, 0.72 – 2.05; P<.001) and PPV (6 months: RR, 1.16; 95% CI, 1.16-3.94; P = .01; 1 year: RR, 2.29, 95% CI, 1.30 – 4.05; P=.003). Among patients with AMD and AF treated with warfarin, there was an increased risk of ocular complications (neovascular AMD: RR, 1.25; 95% CI, 1.14-1.38; P<.001; MH: RR, 1.86; 95% CI, 1.47-2.35; P<.001; VH: RR, 2.22; 95% CI, 1.51-3.26; P<.001) and need for intravitreal anti-VEGF therapy (RR, 1.34; 95% CI, 1.18-1.52; P<.001) over an extended 5-year period. There was no significant difference in the development of major systemic hemorrhagic events between the two cohorts over five years. ConclusionsPatients with non-neovascular AMD treated with warfarin were more likely to develop neovascular disease and require ocular intervention for hemorrhagic complications when compared to matched patients initiated on DOACs.