title: An evidence-based review of prognostic factors for glaucomatous visual field progression.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To examine which prognostic factors are associated with glaucomatous visual field progression.
  
  
  METHODS
  Knowledge of prognostic factors helps clinicians to select patients at risk of glaucomatous visual field progression and intensify their treatment.
  
  
  METHODS
  By consulting relevant databases, we identified 2733 articles published up to September 2010, of which 85 articles investigating prognostic factors for visual field progression in patients with open-angle glaucoma (OAG) were eligible. We summarized results for each factor in tables, noting the direction of the association between the prognostic factor and progression, and the accompanying P value. Four authors, working blind to the factors, independently judged the extent to which a prognostic factor was associated with glaucomatous visual field progression. If there were different associations for normal-tension glaucoma (NTG) studies, they were judged separately. Consensus was reached during group meetings.
  
  
  METHODS
  A ranking of all studied prognostic factors for glaucomatous visual field progression according to their likelihood of being prognostic.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 103 different prognostic factors were investigated in 85 articles. The following factors were clearly associated with glaucomatous visual field progression: age, disc hemorrhages (for NTG), baseline visual field loss, baseline intraocular pressure (IOP), and exfoliation syndrome. An association was unlikely for family history of glaucoma, atherosclerosis, systemic hypertension, visual acuity, sex (for NTG), systolic blood pressure, myopic refractive error (for NTG), and Raynaud's phenomenon.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The factors we found clearly associated with progression could be used in clinical practice and for developing clinical prediction models. For many other factors, further research is necessary.
authors.affiliation: University Eye Clinic Maastricht, Maastricht, The Netherlands; Department of Epidemiology, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands. Electronic address: p.j.g.ernest@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Paul J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Ernest
authors.affiliation: University Eye Clinic Maastricht, Maastricht, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Jan S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Schouten
authors.affiliation: University Eye Clinic Maastricht, Maastricht, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Henny J
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Beckers
authors.affiliation: University Eye Clinic Maastricht, Maastricht, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Fred
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Hendrikse
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Martin H
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Prins
authors.affiliation: University Eye Clinic Maastricht, Maastricht, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Carroll A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Webers
mesh_terms: D018450:Disease Progression; D017889:Exfoliation Syndrome / Q000175:diagnosis; D005902:Glaucoma, Open-Angle / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D007429:Intraocular Pressure / Q000502:physiology; D011379:Prognosis; D012166:Retinal Hemorrhage / Q000175:diagnosis; D012307:Risk Factors; D014786:Vision Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000503:physiopathology; D014792:Visual Acuity / Q000502:physiology; D014794:Visual Fields