Effects of betaxolol and latanoprost on ocular blood flow and visual fields in patients with primary open-angle glaucoma
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Date
2004
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Abstract
PURPOSE. To evaluate the effects of betaxolol and latanoprost on ocular blood flow and visual fields in patients with primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG) by means of an observer-masked, prospective clinical study. METHODS. Thirty-two patients with newly diagnosed POAG were included in the study. The patients were randomized into two groups. The first group was treated with betaxolol 0.50% twice daily and the second group with latanoprost 0.005% once daily. Baseline and post-treatment examinations on the first and third months of treatment included intraocular pressure (IOP) measurement, automated visual field testing, and ocular blood flow assessment. For evaluation of visual fields, mean defect and pattern standard deviation indices were used. Ocular blood flow was assessed by means of color Doppler imaging of the central retinal artery (CRA) and the temporal short posterior ciliary artery (PCA). For each vessel, peak systolic (PSV) and end-diastolic (EDV) blood flow velocities were measured and resistivity index (RI) calculated. RESULTS. After exclusion of one noncompliant patient, the study was completed with 31 eyes of 31 patients. Both drugs significantly reduced IOP (p<0.05). The mean IOP lowering effect of latanoprost was significantly higher than that of betaxolol (p=0.03). Visual field indices exhibited no significant changes in either group (p>0.05). There were no significant changes in PSV or EDV measurements of CRA or PCA in either group (p>0.05). RI decreased in both CRA and PCA with both drugs. The mean changes between baseline and 3 month blood flow measurements were not significantly different between betaxolol and latanoprost (p>0.05). CONCLUSIONS. Over a treatment period of 3 months, both betaxolol and latanoprost tended to improve ocular blood flow without one of them being superior to the other. The results suggest that the direct (non IOP-dependent) influence on ocular circulation is better for betaxolol than for latanoprost. In addition, neither drug caused significant generalized improvements in visual fields during this period.
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Antihypertensive Agents , Betaxolol , Blood Flow Velocity , Ciliary Arteries , Female , Glaucoma, Open-Angle , Humans , Intraocular Pressure , Male , Middle Aged , Ophthalmic Solutions , Prospective Studies , Prostaglandins F, Synthetic , Regional Blood Flow , Retinal Artery , Tonometry, Ocular , Ultrasonography, Doppler, Color , Visual Fields , betaxolol , latanoprost , antihypertensive agent , betaxolol , eye drops , latanoprost , prostaglandin F , article , blood flow velocity , ciliary artery , clinical article , clinical trial , color ultrasound flowmetry , controlled clinical trial , controlled study , eye blood flow , female , human , intraocular pressure , male , open angle glaucoma , perimetry , priority journal , randomized controlled trial , retina artery , statistical analysis , visual field , blood flow , comparative study , drug effect , middle aged , oculoplethysmography , pathophysiology , physiology , prospective study