http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/551479
A medication called Lucentis (ranibizumab) has been tentatively linked to an increased risk of stroke in older patients in an ongoing study designed to test its' safety. Lucentis is prescribed for patients who have the wet form (neovascular) of Age-related Macular Degeneration (A.M.D.). The pharmaceutical company Genentech sent a warning letter to physicians on approximately January 23rd.
In the study, patients who got the recommended dose of ranibizumab were at increased risk for stroke over patients who got a lower dose. Patients who have a history of stroke were also at increased risk for having a second stroke. There was no increase in stroke-related deaths.
Age-Related Macular Degeneration is a disease of the retina. It is the leading cause of vision loss in the elderly. It is progressive. It comes in two forms-- dry, and wet. The dry form can shift over into the wet form which is thought to be the more troublesome of the two. Although a thorough eye examinations including dilation is not prioritized by adults aged 50 and over, there are advances in treatment for A.M.D. and hopefully at least one of them will not care the increased risk for stroke.
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