The Effect of Latanoprost on Intraocular Pressure during 12 Months of Treatment for Normal-tension Glaucoma

PURPOSE: To evaluate the intraocular pressure (IOP)-lowering efficacy of latanoprost in normal-tension glaucoma (NTG). METHODS: One-hundred and seventeen eyes of 63 NTG patients treated with 0.005% latanoprost once a day were enrolled in this study. Of these, 85 eyes of 47 patients were treated for 12 months. Mean IOPs were analyzed, and the mean IOP reductions from the untreated baseline were assessed after two weeks and after 1, 3, 6, 9, and 12 months of treatment. RESULTS: The mean untreated baseline IOP was 15.0 +/- 2.7 mmHg. After two weeks of latanoprost treatment, the mean IOP reduction from the baseline value was 2.6 +/- 0.2 mmHg (17.3%, p<0.05), and after 6 and 12 months, the reduction was 2.4 +/- 0.2 mmHg (16.0%, p<0.05) and 2.4 +/- 0.2 mmHg (16.0%, p<0.05), respectively. Patients with a baseline IOP of > or = 15 mmHg achieved significantly higher IOP reductions than those with a baseline IOP of <15 mmHg at all follow-ups (p<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Latanoprost was found to be well tolerated and to significantly reduce IOP in NTG patients.