A multicentric study of pharmacological treatment for presbyopia

To evaluate the safety, efficacy, and patient satisfaction with a pharmacological treatment of presbyopia performed with the Benozzi's method.

A non-randomized multicentric case-series retrospective study was developed. Were included patients from 5 centers of Argentina, from January 2010 to June 2019, aged at baseline between 40 and 60 years old, with binocular uncorrected distance visual acuity (UDVA) of 25/20 or better, and with uncorrected near visual acuity (UNVA) at least Jaeger (J) 2 or worse. The treatment was performed with a patented formulation (pilocarpine and diclofenac preservative-free eye drops). The main outcome was binocular UNVA and UDVA. Differences were evaluated by paired t-test. The presence of side effects and patient's satisfaction were also evaluated. Data was analyzed in separated groups according to their follow-up time, from 2 to 10 years.

A total of 148 patients were included. At baseline, the UNVA for the different groups were between J3 and J8 which was improved to J1 to J2. The mean baseline UDVA has been ranged between 0.02 and 0.04 logMAR. The mean baseline UDVA has been ranged between 0.02 to 0.04 logMAR, after treatment were between 0.01 to 0.03, without a statisticallysignificant improvement. Side effects were spontaneously resolved, and subjective evaluation shows that patients were satisfied.

This first multicentric shows that Benozzi's method for presbyopia treatment was safety and improves the UNVA without affecting the UDVA, maintaining their efficacy even after 10 years, in a population aged between 40 and 60 years old, from different ophthalmic centers in Argentina.