Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 8, 2026
Retinal Pathophysiological Evaluation in a Rat Model
Published on: May 6, 2022
Effect of nilvadipine on central visual field in retinitis pigmentosa: a 30-month clinical trial
Mitsuru Nakazawa1, Hiroshi Ohguro, Kimio Takeuchi
1Department of Ophthalmology, Hirosaki University Graduate School of Medicine, 5 Zaifu-cho, Hirosaki, Japan. mitsuru@cc.hirosaki-u.ac.jp
Purpose:
To assess the effects of nilvadipine on the progression of central visual field defect in retinitis pigmentosa (RP).
Design:
Prospective, randomized, nonmasked, single-center trial.
Methods:
Patients with RP were randomly divided into a treated group receiving oral nilvadipine at 4 mg/day for ≥30 months and a control group receiving tocopherol nicotinate at 300 mg/day, helenien at 15 mg/day or no medication for the same periods. Progression of RP was evaluated using the 10-2 SITA Fast Program of the Humphrey Visual Field Analyzer, and regression coefficients calculated from the time courses of mean deviation (MD slope) were compared between groups.
Results:
Nineteen patients in the treated group and 14 patients in the control group completed the follow-up for ≥30 months. The mean (±standard deviation) duration of observation was 48.8 ± 11.8 months (median 48 months, range 30-66 months) for the treated group and 49.2 ± 18.1 months (median 48 months, range 30-90 months) for the control group (p = 0.94). Mean (±standard error of the mean, SEM) regression coefficients of the averaged MD values for the initial 30 months were -0.35 ± 0.17 dB/year in the treated group and -0.75 ± 0.06 dB/year in the control group (p < 0.01). Mean (±SEM) MD slopes for total observational periods were -0.49 ± 0.17 dB/year in the treated group and -0.89 ± 0.16 dB/year in the control group (mean ± SEM, p = 0.042).
Conclusion:
Nilvadipine at 4 mg/day significantly retarded progression of central visual field defects in RP in this small patient series.
