Effect of the antihypoxant-sodium hydroxybutyrate on visual functions and oxidative processes in glaucoma patients

This paper presents the results of the application of sodium hydroxybutyrate as 5% sugar syrup for the treatment of glaucoma patients. Common ophthalmological investigation methods and the oxyhemography were used. Fifty-two primary glaucoma patients (99 eyes) in various stages of disease and with different intraocular pressure levels were investigated. It was found that due to sodium hydroxybutyrate in 36 patients (69%) with statistical significance the visual field limits enlarged; in 15 patients visual acuity improved. The drug was efficient in the initial and developed glaucoma with normalized ophthalmotonus level. Significant improvement of the oxygen metabolism--oxygen saturation level of arterial blood and compensatory mechanisms functions of oxygenation-reduction processes in the majority of the patients was found. On the ground of the obtained findings the authors make a conclusion about the expediency of including 5% sodium hydroxybutyrate syrup in the complex treatment of primary glaucoma patients.