A nationwide study in Japan found that the prevalence of neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD) increased substantially between 2014 and 2019. The increase was not fully explained by population aging or common vascular comorbidities.
The study, published in Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science, analyzed data from Japan's national claims database covering over 95% of the population. Researchers identified 76,125 nAMD cases in 2014 and 125,190 in 2019. Age-standardized prevalence rose from 101.3 to 152.4 per 100,000.
Key Findings
- Prevalence increased across all age groups and both sexes, with the steepest rise among those aged 75+ (62.9% increase).
- Diabetes, hypertension, and dyslipidemia were each independently associated with higher odds of nAMD.
- Adjusting for these comorbidities did not significantly change the higher odds of nAMD in 2019 versus 2014.
- Treatment burden increased mainly due to more patients requiring anti-VEGF therapy, not higher injection frequency per patient.
Possible Explanations
Researchers noted that wider adoption of optical coherence tomography (OCT) may have improved detection. Changes in referral patterns and treatment thresholds, as well as declining cardiovascular mortality expanding the at-risk older population, could also contribute.
The authors stated that the findings have implications for healthcare planning in countries with rapidly aging populations.