Blood pressure changes after intravitreal bevacizumab in patients grouped by ocular pathology

• Published in: Eye (London) Vol. 24; no. 8; pp. 1320 - 1324
• Main Authors: Chung, Y-R, Lee, K, Cho, E-H, Lew, H M
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London Nature Publishing Group UK 01.08.2010; Nature Publishing Group
• Subjects: 631/443/1338/243; 631/92/436/108; 692/700/139/422; Adult; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Analysis of Variance; Angiogenesis Inhibitors - pharmacology; Angiogenesis Inhibitors - therapeutic use; Antibodies, Monoclonal - pharmacology; Antibodies, Monoclonal - therapeutic use; Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized; Bevacizumab; Biological and medical sciences; Blood Pressure - drug effects; Blood Pressure - physiology; clinical-study; Female; Humans; Intravitreal Injections; Laboratory Medicine; Male; Medical sciences; Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; Middle Aged; Miscellaneous; Ophthalmology; Pharmaceutical Sciences/Technology; Retinal Diseases - drug therapy; Retrospective Studies; Surgery; Surgical Oncology; bevacizumab; blood pressure; ocular pathology; Avastin; Antineoplastic agent; Human; Ocular; Vitreous body; Monoclonal antibody; Bevacizumab; Immunomodulator; Eye; Anatomic pathology; Vascular endothelium growth factor; Arterial pressure; Blood pressure; Ophthalmology; Antiangiogenic agent
• ISSN: 0950-222X; 1476-5454
• DOI: 10.1038/eye.2010.22

Purpose We evaluated the effects of intravitreal injection of bevacizumab (Avastin; Novartis, Basel, Switzerland) on blood pressure (BP) in the context of ocular vascular pathology. Methods This study retrospectively examined 135 consecutive patients treated with intravitreal injections of 1.25 mg bevacizumab for retinal vascular disease; there were 61 cases of diabetic retinopathy, 30 of retinal vein occlusion, 35 of choroidal neo-vascularization (CNV), and 9 of other retinal vascular diseases. BP was measured before injection and at 30 min, 1 day, 1 week, 3 weeks, and thereafter monthly over a 6-month period. Results In the CNV group, 30-min post-injection systolic values were significantly higher than baseline, and systolic and diastolic values after 1 day, 1 week, and 3 weeks were significantly lower than before injection. No other pressure measurement differed significantly from baseline values in the other groups. Discussion Intravitreal bevacizumab injection is safe in terms of its effect on BP, regardless of ocular pathology.