Better tracking glaucoma progression

Having more frequent visual tests could be linked with better tracing of glaucoma progression, a study finds


More frequent visual tests for glaucoma patients could allow physicians to better follow the condition's progression, a study finds.

A study released online Monday in the Archives of Ophthamology examined data on 468 eyes of 381 patients age 35 to 80 who were part of a long-term intervention study. The participants had primary open-angle glaucoma no longer being controlled by medication. This type of glaucoma is the most common form and usually hits people over 50. It causes damage to the optic nerve and usually progresses slowly, sometimes without being noticed. The researchers' goal was to see if more frequent visual field tests to check peripheral vision resulted in earlier discovery of the progression of the glaucoma.