[Initial combination therapy for primary open-angle glaucoma]

To study the efficacy and safety of initial combination therapy in patients with primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG).

The study included 111 patients (161 eyes) with stages II-III b-c of POAG aged 46 to 89 years (mean age 70.8±8.5 years). In the test group, therapy began with a fixed combination of prostaglandin (PG) (latanoprost) and beta-blocker (BB) (timolol). In patients of the control group, POAG therapy began with administration of the analogue of prostaglandin (latanoprost). When the target IOP was not achieved, a second drug was added to the treatment - instillations of 0.5% solution of timolol maleate 2 times a day.

In patients of the test group the treatment started with a combination of BB + PG, the target IOP in the 'worst' eyes was achieved in 33 cases (64%) in 1.5±0.6 visits, and in the 'best' eyes - in 17 cases (81%), in 1.2±0.4 visits. In the control group with a 'step-by-step' selection of antihypertensive therapy, the target IOP in the 'worst' eyes was achieved in 35 cases (59%), in 2.5±0.7 visits, and in the 'best' eyes - in 22 cases (76%), in 2.2±0.5 visits (p<0.05). In both study groups, there were no cases of drug withdrawal attributed to their side effects. Patients noted conjunctival hyperemia in 5% (4 eyes) and 7% (6 eyes) of cases in the test group and the control group, respectively (p>0.05). Hyperemia decreased significantly in 2 weeks of latanoprost administration or fixed combination and did not cause withdrawal.

Initial combination therapy is possible in patients with newly diagnosed POAG in some clinical situations, namely in stages II-III POAG with high IOP, unavailability of regular observation of patients for various social and economic reasons, absence of somatic and local contraindications to individual components of the combined treatment, etc.