Early treatment can help those at high risk for glaucoma
Early treatment of ocular hypertension appears to reduce the risk of developing glaucoma, especially in individuals at the highest risk, according to a new study.
The authors added, however, that such a strategy may not offer an absolute benefit in individuals at low risk.
Doctors compared the safety and efficacy of earlier versus later treatment in preventing glaucoma among 1,636 individuals with elevated intraocular pressure. Participants were randomly assigned to either observation or topical ocular pressure-lowering medication.
Those assigned to receive medication were treated for a median (midpoint) time of 13 years, whereas the observation group was monitored for a median time of 7.5 years and then received medication for a median of 5.5 years. Overall, 22 per cent of participants in the original observation group and 16 per cent in the original medication group developed glaucoma after 13 years, a finding that indicated that early treatment was associated with a 27 per cent reduction in the risk of glaucoma.
The results indicate that an individualised assessment of the risk of developing glaucoma can aid patients and clinicians in making treatment decisions. “Clinicians need to consider the patient’s age, health status, life expectancy and personal preferences. Ultimately, the full extent of the penalty for delaying treatment will require longer follow-up to ascertain the incidence and degree of visual impairment by randomisation group,” the authors concluded.
(Source: IMT)
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