Cardiovascular involvement in patients with diabetic macular oedema treated with intravitreal ranibizumab in routine clinical practice.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the cardiovascular events in naïve patients with diabetic macular oedema, before and after being treated with intravitreal ranibizumab.

MATERIAL AND METHODS: A retrospective and descriptive study was conducted on patients with diabetic macular oedema and foveal involvement, who started treatment with intravitreal ranibizumab in 2014 in the Hospital Universitario Nuestra Señora de Candelaria and the Hospital Universitario y Politécnico La Fe. During the follow-up until August 2015, a record was made of parameters, including the prevalence and incidence of stroke and myocardial infarction.

RESULTS: Among the 1,324 intravitreal ranibizumab injections administered in 2014, only 159 of them corresponded to treatment initiation in 99 patients, with more than half requiring treatment of both eyes. The study patients included 58.4% males, in the 6th decade of life (Mean=65.93±11.24 years), non-smokers (86.7%), type 2 diabetes (91.9%), hypertension (70.7%), and with dyslipidaemia (65.7%). Prior to treatment initiation, it was found that 6 patients (6.1%) suffered from an acute myocardial infarction, and 8 (8.1%) from stroke, and only one (1%) with post-stroke (P=.039).

CONCLUSION: In our experience it seems that the intravitreal ranibizumab in diabetic macular oedema could be a safe alternative in patients with a history of stroke and myocardial infarction.