[Timolol and functional perimetric prognosis of primary open-angle glaucoma]

Area of Science:

• Ophthalmology
• Glaucoma research
• Pharmacological interventions

Context:

• Open-angle chronic glaucoma (O.A.C.G.) management presents ongoing challenges.
• Long-term efficacy of pharmacological treatments requires continuous evaluation.
• Timolol is a commonly used beta-blocker in glaucoma therapy.

Purpose:

• To evaluate the long-term effect of timolol on visual capability in O.A.C.G. patients.
• To compare the progression of visual field loss in patients treated with and without timolol.
• To analyze the impact of timolol introduction on the rate of visual capability decline.

Summary:

• A retrospective study followed 60 O.A.C.G. patients (102 eyes) for 3-8 years.
• Timolol introduction temporarily improved visual capability (TVC) and straightened the decline slope.
• This beneficial effect of timolol was transient, averaging only three years.

Impact:

• Timolol's efficacy in slowing visual field loss in O.A.C.G. is limited to approximately three years.
• Despite interventions, glaucomatous diseases show inexorable visual field progression.
• Findings underscore the need for ongoing research into more sustained glaucoma therapies.