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Lack of long-term drift in timolol's effectiveness in patients with ocular hypertension

Bengtsson, B LU and Heijl, A LU (2001) In Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science 42(12). p.42-2839
Abstract

PURPOSE: To report the change over time in intraocular pressure in patients treated with topical timolol or placebo.

METHODS: Ninety patients with untreated ocular hypertension, defined as elevated intraocular pressure and normal visual fields, were randomly assigned to treatment and prospectively observed at 3-month intervals for up to 10 years in a double-masked fashion. The study end point was one eye showing reproducible glaucomatous field defects; patients were also withdrawn if one eye showed intraocular pressure of 35 mm Hg or higher. For each treatment group and visit, the mean and median of all intraocular pressure measurements were calculated. Medians were also calculated for the timolol group, assuming a worst-case... (More)

PURPOSE: To report the change over time in intraocular pressure in patients treated with topical timolol or placebo.

METHODS: Ninety patients with untreated ocular hypertension, defined as elevated intraocular pressure and normal visual fields, were randomly assigned to treatment and prospectively observed at 3-month intervals for up to 10 years in a double-masked fashion. The study end point was one eye showing reproducible glaucomatous field defects; patients were also withdrawn if one eye showed intraocular pressure of 35 mm Hg or higher. For each treatment group and visit, the mean and median of all intraocular pressure measurements were calculated. Medians were also calculated for the timolol group, assuming a worst-case scenario in which all patients who reached the end point, or intraocular pressure of 35 mm Hg or more, were assumed to show higher intraocular pressure than those remaining in the study. Distributions of slopes for intraocular pressure over time were compared between treatment groups.

RESULTS: Means and medians of follow-up intraocular pressure over time did not differ between timolol- and placebo-treated patients. This was also true when assuming a worst-case scenario. Slopes of intraocular pressure over time did not differ statistically between treatment groups.

CONCLUSIONS: In agreement with other masked and controlled studies and in conflict with uncontrolled ones, the present study did not demonstrate long-term drift of intraocular pressure in patients with ocular hypertension treated with topical timolol.

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author
and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
Adrenergic beta-Antagonists, Adult, Aged, Double-Blind Method, Drug Tolerance, Humans, Intraocular Pressure, Middle Aged, Ocular Hypertension, Prospective Studies, Timolol
in
Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science
volume
42
issue
12
pages
4 pages
publisher
Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology Inc.
external identifiers
  • pmid:11687526
  • scopus:0034754932
ISSN
0146-0404
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
2f240832-4f44-4579-84bf-ec4fedc8b56e
alternative location
http://iovs.arvojournals.org/article.aspx?articleid=2123294
date added to LUP
2016-08-30 16:46:39
date last changed
2024-04-19 07:47:49
@article{2f240832-4f44-4579-84bf-ec4fedc8b56e,
  abstract     = {{<p>PURPOSE: To report the change over time in intraocular pressure in patients treated with topical timolol or placebo.</p><p>METHODS: Ninety patients with untreated ocular hypertension, defined as elevated intraocular pressure and normal visual fields, were randomly assigned to treatment and prospectively observed at 3-month intervals for up to 10 years in a double-masked fashion. The study end point was one eye showing reproducible glaucomatous field defects; patients were also withdrawn if one eye showed intraocular pressure of 35 mm Hg or higher. For each treatment group and visit, the mean and median of all intraocular pressure measurements were calculated. Medians were also calculated for the timolol group, assuming a worst-case scenario in which all patients who reached the end point, or intraocular pressure of 35 mm Hg or more, were assumed to show higher intraocular pressure than those remaining in the study. Distributions of slopes for intraocular pressure over time were compared between treatment groups.</p><p>RESULTS: Means and medians of follow-up intraocular pressure over time did not differ between timolol- and placebo-treated patients. This was also true when assuming a worst-case scenario. Slopes of intraocular pressure over time did not differ statistically between treatment groups.</p><p>CONCLUSIONS: In agreement with other masked and controlled studies and in conflict with uncontrolled ones, the present study did not demonstrate long-term drift of intraocular pressure in patients with ocular hypertension treated with topical timolol.</p>}},
  author       = {{Bengtsson, B and Heijl, A}},
  issn         = {{0146-0404}},
  keywords     = {{Adrenergic beta-Antagonists; Adult; Aged; Double-Blind Method; Drug Tolerance; Humans; Intraocular Pressure; Middle Aged; Ocular Hypertension; Prospective Studies; Timolol}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{12}},
  pages        = {{42--2839}},
  publisher    = {{Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology Inc.}},
  series       = {{Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science}},
  title        = {{Lack of long-term drift in timolol's effectiveness in patients with ocular hypertension}},
  url          = {{http://iovs.arvojournals.org/article.aspx?articleid=2123294}},
  volume       = {{42}},
  year         = {{2001}},
}