This is a large and important study from Singapore. When Avastin was given in large doses intravenously for cancer treatment, an increased risk of stroke was observed. Therefore there was a theoretical risk that even the tiny doses of Avastin given into the eye could also be associated with a higher risk of stroke.
This study compared the rates of heart attack (myocardial infarct, MI), stroke (cerebrovascular accident, CVA) and death in some 1,182 individuals who had undergone intravitreal injections for the treatment of age-related macular degeration (AMD). The rates of MI, CVA and death were no different from the average age-adjusted incidence rate of these events. This is obviously extremely reassuring for patients and doctors alike, regarding the on-going treatment of wet AMD with anti-VEGF injections.
