Comparison of survival of exfoliative glaucoma patients and primary open-angle glaucoma patients: impact of acetazolamide use.
OBJECTIVE
To compare the survival rates of patients with exfoliative glaucoma (XFG) and those with primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG), and to establish whether the use of acetazolamide has any influence on survival.


METHODS
The survival data, including date and cause of death, for 1147 patients with XFG or POAG who were ultimately hospitalized at the Eye Department, National Hospital, Oslo, between 1961 and 1970, were analysed retrospectively. The Cox proportional hazard model was used in the survival analyses.


RESULTS
No statistically significant differences in survival were found between patients with XFG and those with POAG (p = 0.85). As expected, female gender and younger age at diagnosis were associated with longer survival periods. Surprisingly, we found that patients with more recent birth dates had relatively lower survival rates than patients with earlier birth dates; when this was included in the analyses, the use of acetazolamide was found to be associated with reduced survival (n = 492, p = 0.02).
Eye Department, Alesund Hospital, Alesund, Norway. jon-staale.ritland@c2i.net
J S
JS
Ritland
K
K
Egge
S
S
Lydersen
R
R
Juul
S O
SO
Semb
D000086:Acetazolamide / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D017677:Age Distribution; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002257:Carbonic Anhydrase Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002423:Cause of Death; D017889:Exfoliation Syndrome / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000401:mortality*; D005260:Female; D005902:Glaucoma, Open-Angle / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000401:mortality*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009664:Norway / Q000453:epidemiology; D016016:Proportional Hazards Models; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D017678:Sex Distribution; D015996:Survival Rate
D002257:Carbonic Anhydrase Inhibitors; D000086:Acetazolamide