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Glaucoma Treatment Study: Visual field loss, improvement comparable through 5 years
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Comparable rates of visual field loss and improvement were seen until 5-year follow-up of the Collaborative Initial Glaucoma Treatment Study, at which time visual field loss became more common, according to a study.
The prospective, comparative case series study included 607 patients with newly diagnosed open-angle glaucoma from the Collaborative Initial Glaucoma Treatment Study. Researchers obtained baseline and follow-up visual field test results and analyzed the mean deviation change from baseline to follow-up. Changes in mean deviation of 3 decibels or more were considered clinically substantial.
The researchers found that the percentage of participants’ eyes that had either a substantial gain or loss were similar during the first 5 years. At years 1, 3 and 5, visual field loss was seen in 6.6%, 10.9% and 14.5% of participants, respectively, whereas visual field improvement was seen in 7.5%, 12.7% and 13.9%, respectively.
However, from years 5 to 8, the percentage of visual field loss continued to increase, whereas the percentage of improvement remained at the 5-year level, according to the researchers. At 7 years after the initiation of treatment, a higher percentage of patients had visual field loss than improvement.
Measures of better IOP control, such as a lower mean IOP, lower minimum IOP and lower sustained levels of IOP over follow-up, were significantly predictive of visual field improvement, according to the researchers.
Disclosure: See the study for full list of all authors’ relevant financial disclosures.
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