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Study: IOP-lowering treatment cost-effective for normal tension glaucoma patients over long term
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BUSAN, Korea — A cost-effectiveness study, the first of its kind to examine cost and normal tension glaucoma care, found that offering IOP-lowering treatment was cost-effective for all normal tension glaucoma patients in the long term.
“Decision on management should balance the benefits and risks of treatment to individual patients, and take into account the perceived life span of the patient, as NTG often progresses slowly,” Emmy Li, MBBS, MRCS (Edin), said at APAO/SOE 2012 here.
The study used a Markov decision-analytic health model to determine the cost-effectiveness of treating normal tension glaucoma with a 30% IOP reduction from baseline. It examined a 10-year horizon of practice patterns and progression rates based on the Collaborative NTG Study.
The study found that the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio to treat all normal tension glaucoma with 30% IOP reduction therapy was US$34,225 per quality-adjusted life year. In addition, if therapy was selectively offered to patients at risk for progression, the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio was decreased by 20% to 30%. That amount was lower than the World Health Organization’s US$47,580 per year benchmark and similar to other glaucoma subset treatment strategies, Dr. Li said.
- Disclosure: Dr. Li has no relevant financial disclosures.