title: Twenty-four hour efficacy of glaucoma medications.
abstract: Current medical therapy of glaucoma aims to attain a meaningful and consistent reduction of intraocular pressure (IOP) to a predetermined level of target IOP, which will commensurate with either stability, or delayed progression of visual loss. Glaucoma is a 24-h disease and the damaging effect of elevated IOP is continuous. Therefore, it is reasonable that we should endeavor to identify the true efficacy of currently available and future antiglaucoma medications throughout the 24-h period. This review chapter deals first with the concept and value of diurnal and 24-h pressure monitoring. It then evaluates existing evidence on the 24-h efficacy of medical therapy options. Unfortunately, significant gaps exist in our present understanding of the short-term and particularly the long-term 24-h efficacy of most antiglaucoma medications. More long-term controlled evidence is needed in the future to improve our understanding of the 24-h efficacy of current medical glaucoma therapy, the ideal 24-h target pressure and the precise impact of IOP characteristics upon the different stages of the various forms of glaucoma.
authors.affiliation: 1st University Department of Ophthalmology, Aristotle University, Thessaloniki, Greece; 3rd University Department of Ophthalmology, Aristotle University, Thessaloniki, Greece; Ophthalmica Institute, Thessaloniki, Greece. Electronic address: konstas@med.auth.gr.
authors.forename: Anastasios G P
authors.initials: AG
authors.lastname: Konstas
authors.affiliation: Ophthalmology Department, University of Ioannina, Ioannina, Greece.
authors.forename: Andreas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Katsanos
authors.affiliation: Centre for the Study of Glaucoma, University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy.
authors.forename: Luciano
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Quaranta
authors.affiliation: 3rd University Department of Ophthalmology, Aristotle University, Thessaloniki, Greece; Ophthalmica Institute, Thessaloniki, Greece.
authors.forename: Dimitrios G
authors.initials: DG
authors.lastname: Mikropoulos
authors.affiliation: Ophthalmica Institute, Thessaloniki, Greece.
authors.forename: Paris G
authors.initials: PG
authors.lastname: Tranos
authors.affiliation: Universidad de Alcalá, Alcalá de Henares, Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: Miguel A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Teus
mesh_terms: D002940:Circadian Rhythm / Q000502:physiology; D005901:Glaucoma / Q000188:drug therapy*; D006801:Humans; D007429:Intraocular Pressure / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology
keywords: 24-h Efficacy; 24-h Intraocular pressure; Circadian IOP characteristics; Diurnal IOP; Glaucoma medical therapy; Intraocular pressure