The combination therapy for normal-tension glaucoma with betaxolol and unoprostone

摘要

The combination effects of topically applied betaxolol and unoprostone on the retrobulbar blood circulation were examined by using color Doppler imaging in eighteen normal-tension glaucoma (NTG) patients. Initially betaxolol was only applied to the patients and unoprostone was added a year after to evaluate the combination effects of both drugs. The peak systolic blood velocity in the central retinal artery (CRA) was slightly decreased (P=0.058) and the end-diasto-lic blood velocity in the posterior ciliary artery (PCA) was increased (P<0.05) after a year using unoprostone. The resistive indexes of CRA and PCA were decreased after a year using unoprostone (P<0.05, both vessels). The intraocular pressure was decreased significantly (P<0.01). The results indicate that the combination therapy of betaxolol and unoprostone is quite favorable for NTG patients with regard to the intraocular pressure and the ocular blood circulation.