Anti-VEGF drugs compared with laser photocoagulation for the treatment of diabetic retinopathy: a systematic review and meta-analysis

AI Generated Summary*

Fourteen randomised trials (three of aflibercept, five of bevacizumab, six of ranibizumab) were included. Twelve enrolled people with proliferative disease; two in non-proliferative disease compared aflibercept with sham injection and were left out of the network analysis. In proliferative disease, injections alone were slightly better than laser for vision within 2 years (mean difference −0.089 log-MAR, about 3.6 letters; 95% credible interval −0.180 to −0.019), a gap judged unlikely to matter clinically. The three drugs did not clearly differ, and seven trials were at high risk of bias. Assuming equal effects across drugs, relative risks versus laser were 0.29 for macular oedema and 0.77 for vitreous haemorrhage. One trial found no vision benefit at 5 years.

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