When and how we start the treatment in patients with ocular hypertension or in glaucoma suspects?
Stefan, C.; Ene, L.; Coravu, C.O.
Oftalmologia 58(1): 15-17
2014
ISSN/ISBN: 1220-0875 PMID: 25145118 Document Number: 672540
The therapeutic decision should be a collaboration between us the doctor and the patient. Patients have different tolerance and education levels, ranging from the highly cautious to the careless one. Treatment initiation in glaucoma is based on intraocular pressure levels, age, race, life expectancy, family history, progression risk, associated pathology. The therapeutic effort is aiming to maintain both quality of life and sight, through sustainable costs. Now we have the proof that intraocular pressure is just another risk factor among many others, lowering-pressure treatment being able to reduce the individual risk of progression. Still, only the high-risk ocular hypertension will be treated, considering other risk factors. There is a fine line between early glaucoma and ocular hypertension, the therapeutic decision and monitoring algorithm varying with the individual risk of progression.