What is Eylea HD?
You may ask yourself, “Is Eylea HD for me?” Eylea HD is an FDA-approved medication for the treatment of wet AMD and diabetic retinopathy. It is a more concentrated form of Eylea, a medication that has been approved for use and effectively used for many years. Eyela contains 2mg of medication per injection, whereas Eylea HD has 8mg of medication per injection.
When is it helpful to use Eylea HD over Eylea?
There are several reasons Eylea HD may be better than Eylea. For example, in some eyes with severe macular degeneration or diabetic damage, current medications may not appear to be strong enough to help. Eylea HD may offer the strength needed to help prevent loss of vision in these cases. In addition, if Eylea does not last as long as needed, injections may need to be given frequently. Eylea HD offers a longer duration of action. Therefore, it may allow more time between injections.
What are the side effects?
The same side effects of Eylea remain for Eylea HD. That is, they are both given by injection into the eye. Therefore, risks include infection, inflammation, bleeding, and retinal detachment, among others. Over time, these risks are less with Eylea HD if injections can be given less often; the fewer the number of injections, the lower the risk of complications from the injection procedure. However, because Eylea HD is more concentrated, there may be increased risk of complications outside the eye. As Eylea leaves the eye and enters the blood stream, it may cause increased risk of hypertension, stroke, heart attack, and kidney disease. There is much debate about whether this risk is significant or not, but evidence suggests the risk may be higher in diabetic patients.
How can I decide if Eylea HD is right for me?
Your doctor will help you to decide. If you do not have diabetes, or past history of stroke or heart attack, the decision may be easy. However, if you have diabetes or are at high risk of stroke and heart attack, you may wish to hold off using Eylea HD until doctors have had more experience with the medication, which was newly approved for use in August 2023.
For a telemedicine consultation with Dr Pautler, please send email request to spautler@rvaf.com. We accept Medicare and most insurances in Florida. Please include contact information (including phone number) in the email. We are unable to provide consultation for those living outside the state of Florida with the exception of limited one-time consultations with residents of the following states: Alabama, Arkansas, Connecticut, Georgia, Minnesota, and Washington.
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