Purpose: To compare the effects of topical nipradilol and timolol on the visual field in Japanese normal-tension glaucoma (NTG) patients.
Methods: We enrolled 146 NTG patients. At baseline, age, intraocular pressure (IOP), and mean deviation (MD) by the Humphrey field analyzer were 47.6 (SD 8.5), 14.2 (1.7) mmHg, and -4.5 (3.0) dB. Seventy-two patients were randomly assigned to the 0.25% nipradilol group and 74 patients to the 0.5% timolol ophthalmic solution group twice daily for the 3-year study period. The Humphrey full-threshold 30-2 visual field test was performed every 6 months. The primary end point was the nonparametric O'Brien summary score (sum of the ranks of six slopes calculated from the average of the total deviation in each cluster) in each patient. The secondary analyses were differences in the MD slope, average of the total deviation in each cluster, the corrected pattern standard deviation (CPSD), and the time course of IOP.
Results: No significant intergroup differences were found in baseline characteristics, or in the parameters of the primary and secondary analyses. In both groups, central superior clusters showed negative slopes and IOP decreased by about 1 mmHg from baseline.
Conclusion: No significant difference in visual field performance or IOP reduction was seen between the nipradilol and timolol groups.