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Effects of selective, nonselective beta-blockers on nerve fiber layer are similar
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TURKU, Finland — Nerve fiber layer damage did not differ significantly between glaucoma patients treated with betaxolol and those treated with timolol, according to a study.
It has been suggested that there are differences in the ability of selective and nonselective beta-blockers to protect the retinas of glaucoma patients, noted Elina Vainio-Jylhä, MD, and colleagues. Their study here at Turku University Hospital failed to find such a difference, at least as measured by retinal nerve fiber layer damage.
The researchers randomly divided 64 patients into two treatment groups, one receiving betaxolol 0.5% and one receiving timolol 0.25%. Retinal nerve fiber layer photographs were taken of both groups.
Analysis included 27 patients in the betaxolol group and 28 patients in the timolol group. Of these, 30% of the betaxolol-treated patients and 46% of the timolol-treated patients had retinal nerve fiber layer damage progression. The amount and rate of progression did not differ significantly between the groups.
There was also no significant difference in intraocular pressure levels between the two groups during follow-up. The degree of retinal nerve fiber layer deterioration did not correlate to the amount of IOP reduction.
The study is published in the October issue of Acta Ophthalmologica Scandinavica.