Professor Massimo Bucci, Scientific Director of the Bietti Foundation, notes that glaucoma is characterised by the irreversible loss of optic nerve cells which can result in gradual deterioration in visual field. Alarmingly, glaucoma is the second leading cause of preventable blindness worldwide.
In the United States, it affects 2.5 million people over the age of 55 while in Europe it affects a 2-4% of the population over the age of 40. Sadly, the progress of the disease is practically asymptomatic until the more advanced stages, when treatment is ineffective. This is why glaucoma has been called “the silent thief of sight”.
Professor Marco Centofanti, who coordinated the European multicentre GREAT study, explains that “Intra ocular pressure is the only parameter which can be treated, hence an effective hypotensive ocular therapy is fundamental to slow down the disease progression”.
Furthermore he states that topical monotherapy is the first step in treatment for most glaucoma patients, but if the desired outcome (a significant reduction in intra ocular pressure) is not achieved, they may need to move onto combined treatment. Within 5 years from the start of the therapy, over 50% of patients will require two or more drugs in order to reach the desired IOP and hence slow down the disease progression and ocular deficit onset.
The GREAT study showed that treatment based on a beta blocker combined with a prostaglandin analogue known as a prostamide helps to control the disease more effectively compared to other available fixed associations.
The study was designed to compare two types of glaucoma medication, Duotrav (travoprost and a beta blocker) and Ganfort (bimatoprost and beta blocker). This is the first comparison between the efficacy and safety of these eye drops to be reported in literature. Eighty-nine patients were enrolled into the trial.
The volunteers received a nightly dose of one drug for three months, after which the treatment was switched. Intraocular pressure was measured at the start of the trial and at the end of each three month treatment period.
Source: G.B. Bietti Foundation IRCCS (Research Healthcare Institute)