Search PubMed⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

Eve J Higginbotham

Publications and source records attributed to Eve J Higginbotham.

8 recordsLinked to original sources

One-year, randomized study comparing bimatoprost and timolol in glaucoma and ocular hypertension.

OBJECTIVE: To compare bimatoprost with timolol maleate in patients with glaucoma or ocular hypertension. METHODS: In 2 identical, multicenter, randomized, double-masked, 1-year clinical trials, patients were treated with 0.03% bimatoprost once daily (QD) (n = 474), 0.03% bimatoprost twice daily (BID) (n = 483), or 0.5% timolol maleate BID (n = 241). MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Diurnal intraocular pressure (IOP) at 8 AM, 10 AM, and 4 PM and safety variables (IOP was also measured at 8 PM at selected sites). RESULTS: Bimatoprost QD provided significantly lower mean IOP than timolol at every time of the day at each study visit (P<.001). This was also true for bimatoprost BID at most time points, but the efficacy was not as good as that of the QD regimen. At 10 AM (peak timolol effect) at month 12, the mean reduction in IOP from baseline was 7.6 mm Hg (30%) with bimatoprost and 5.3 mm Hg (21%) with timolol (P<.001). A significantly higher percentage of patients receiving bimatoprost QD (58%) than timolol (37%) achieved IOPs at or below 17 mm Hg (10 AM, month 12; P<.001). The most common adverse effect with bimatoprost was hyperemia (significantly higher with bimatoprost QD than timolol; P<.001). CONCLUSIONS: Bimatoprost QD provides sustained IOP lowering superior to timolol or bimatoprost BID and achieves low target IOPs in significantly more patients.

Adrenergic beta-Antagonists↗

The Ocular Hypertension Treatment Study: a randomized trial determines that topical ocular hypotensive medication delays or prevents the onset of primary open-angle glaucoma.

BACKGROUND: Primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG) is one of the leading causes of blindness in the United States and worldwide. Three to 6 million people in the United States are at increased risk for developing POAG because of elevated intraocular pressure (IOP), or ocular hypertension. There is no consensus on the efficacy of medical treatment in delaying or preventing the onset of POAG in individuals with elevated IOP. Therefore, we designed a randomized clinical trial, the Ocular Hypertension Treatment Study. OBJECTIVE: To determine the safety and efficacy of topical ocular hypotensive medication in delaying or preventing the onset of POAG. METHODS: A total of 1636 participants with no evidence of glaucomatous damage, aged 40 to 80 years, and with an IOP between 24 mm Hg and 32 mm Hg in one eye and between 21 mm Hg and 32 mm Hg in the other eye were randomized to either observation or treatment with commercially available topical ocular hypotensive medication. The goal in the medication group was to reduce the IOP by 20% or more and to reach an IOP of 24 mm Hg or less. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The primary outcome was the development of reproducible visual field abnormality or reproducible optic disc deterioration attributed to POAG. Abnormalities were determined by masked certified readers at the reading centers, and attribution to POAG was decided by the masked Endpoint Committee. RESULTS: During the course of the study, the mean +/- SD reduction in IOP in the medication group was 22.5% +/- 9.9%. The IOP declined by 4.0% +/- 11.6% in the observation group. At 60 months, the cumulative probability of developing POAG was 4.4% in the medication group and 9.5% in the observation group (hazard ratio, 0.40; 95% confidence interval, 0.27-0.59; P<.0001). There was little evidence of increased systemic or ocular risk associated with ocular hypotensive medication. CONCLUSIONS: Topical ocular hypotensive medication was effective in delaying or preventing the onset of POAG in individuals with elevated IOP. Although this does not imply that all patients with borderline or elevated IOP should receive medication, clinicians should consider initiating treatment for individuals with ocular hypertension who are at moderate or high risk for developing POAG.

Administration, Topical↗

The Ocular Hypertension Treatment Study: baseline factors that predict the onset of primary open-angle glaucoma.

BACKGROUND: The Ocular Hypertension Treatment Study (OHTS) has shown that topical ocular hypotensive medication is effective in delaying or preventing the onset of primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG) in individuals with elevated intraocular pressure (ocular hypertension) and no evidence of glaucomatous damage. OBJECTIVE: To describe baseline demographic and clinical factors that predict which participants in the OHTS developed POAG. METHODS: Baseline demographic and clinical data were collected prior to randomization except for corneal thickness measurements, which were performed during follow-up. Proportional hazards models were used to identify factors that predicted which participants in the OHTS developed POAG. RESULTS: In univariate analyses, baseline factors that predicted the development of POAG included older age, race (African American), sex (male), larger vertical cup-disc ratio, larger horizontal cup-disc ratio, higher intraocular pressure, greater Humphrey visual field pattern standard deviation, heart disease, and thinner central corneal measurement. In multivariate analyses, baseline factors that predicted the development of POAG included older age, larger vertical or horizontal cup-disc ratio, higher intraocular pressure, greater pattern standard deviation, and thinner central corneal measurement. CONCLUSIONS: Baseline age, vertical and horizontal cup-disc ratio, pattern standard deviation, and intraocular pressure were good predictors for the onset of POAG in the OHTS. Central corneal thickness was found to be a powerful predictor for the development of POAG.

Administration, Topical↗

Latanoprost and timolol combination therapy vs monotherapy: one-year randomized trial.

OBJECTIVE: To compare the efficacy and safety of a fixed combination of 0.005% latanoprost and 0.5% timolol maleate administered once daily vs monotherapy with either 0.005% latanoprost once daily or 0.5% timolol twice daily. METHODS: Patients with either primary or secondary open-angle glaucoma or ocular hypertension participated in a 6-month, randomized, double-masked, multicenter study with 3 parallel treatment groups. The double-masked period was preceded by a 2- to 4-week "run-in" treatment with timolol. Subjects could receive fixed combination therapy during a 6-month open-label extension. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: The difference between groups in mean diurnal intraocular pressure reduction in study eye(s) from baseline through 6 months of treatment. RESULTS: Overall, 418 patients were enrolled in the study; 332 completed the open-label phase. Diurnal intraocular pressure levels were similar at baseline, but at week 26, they were 19.9 +/- 3.4 mm Hg in the fixed combination therapy group, 20.8 +/- 4.6 mm Hg in latanoprost-treated patients, and 23.4 +/- 5.4 mm Hg in timolol-treated patients (data are given as mean +/- SD). The mean change from baseline was greater among patients receiving fixed combination therapy compared with each monotherapy group (P<.01). Fixed combination therapy effectively lowered intraocular pressure levels for up to 1 year. All treatments were well tolerated. CONCLUSION: The combination of 0.005% latanoprost and 0.5% timolol administered once daily is effective and well tolerated for up to 12 months.

Adult↗

The efficacy and safety of unfixed and fixed combinations of latanoprost and other antiglaucoma medications.

Adjunctive therapy for the management of glaucoma is commonly used. Unfixed combinations of the prostaglandin analog latanoprost and other glaucoma medications have been demonstrated to effectively lower intraocular pressure (IOP). The range of reported additional reductions in IOP compared to a monotherapy baseline are as follows: latanoprost-timolol (13-37%), latanoprost-pilocarpine 2% (7-14%), latanoprost and carbonic anhydrase inhibitors (15-24.1%), and latanoprost and dipivefrin (15-28%). There is a fixed combination of latanoprost (0.005%) and timolol (0.5%) that has been investigated in Phase III trials in Europe and the United States. In these trials, it was noted that the efficacy of the fixed combination was superior to either of the monotherapy components. After 12 months of follow-up of patients on fixed combination, there was no evidence of long-term drift. The new formulation appears to be safe and does not demonstrate any more side effects than either of the components. The convenience of a fixed combination may enhance patient compliance. Unfixed combination therapy with latanoprost and other antiglaucoma medications and the fixed combination formulation of latanoprost and timolol provide an effective and safe option for lowering IOP in glaucoma patients.

Adrenergic beta-Antagonists↗

Differences between screening sites in a glaucoma screening program.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the differences in demographic variables, glaucoma risk factors, and visual acuity by type of screening site. METHODS: We conducted glaucoma screenings throughout the city of Baltimore. A questionnaire collected information about age, race, and risk factors: having a relative with glaucoma, having diabetes, having a past eye injury or surgery, and not having an eye examination within two years. We also tested visual acuity and visual fields. We categorized screening sites into work places, senior centers, health fairs, and church groups, and created age-race groups by combining age and race categories. RESULTS: This study is based on 1,366 people screened at 42 different sites. The majority of people screened were African-American (65%) and female (58%), with a mean age of 48 years. We found significant age and race differences between the screening sites. After stratifying by age-race groups, we found statistically significant associations between screening sites and not having a recent eye examination (P =.009) and visual acuity (P =.001). Health fairs had the largest percentage of people not having a recent eye examination, and senior centers had the largest percentage of people with poor visual acuity. CONCLUSIONS: Our data showed differences in age and race between screening sites. After conducting stratified analysis, differences between screening sites and recent eye examinations and visual acuity persisted. These differences in screening sites, as well as objectives of the vision screening, should be considered when planning a screening program to help focus the program on appropriate high-risk subgroups of the population.

Adolescent↗

Primary drug treatment for glaucoma: beta-blockers versus other medications.

This set of Viewpoints articles examines the merits of beta-blockers versus other medications as the primary drug treatment for glaucoma. Ophthalmologists must balance issues such as efficacy, compliance, cost, and side effects when deciding on the appropriate medication to prescribe. Dr. Stamper stresses the advantages of tailoring the choice of medication to the needs of the individual patient. Drs. Wigginton and Higginbotham review the benefits of beta-blockers and present some of the disadvantages of the non-beta-blocker class of medications.

Adrenergic alpha-Agonists↗