Effects of brinzolamide vs timolol as an adjunctive medication to latanoprost on circadian intraocular pressure control in primary open-angle glaucoma Japanese patients

PURPOSE: To study the effect of the concomitant use of brinzolamide and latanoprost on the 24-hour variation in intraocular pressure (IOP) in primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG) patients first treated with timolol and latanoprost. METHODS: We studied 30 eyes from 30 POAG patients previously treated with latanoprost monotherapy. After a washout of four weeks in both eyes, all patients were treated with 0.5% timolol and latanoprost. Three months after the initiation of treatment with timolol and latanoprost, the 24-hour IOP variation was measured. Thereafter, all patients were treated with concomitant 1% brinzolamide and latanoprost. Three months after changing the therapeutic regimen, the 24-hour IOP variation was measured a second time. Latanoprost was administered once a day, and timolol and brinzolamide were twice a day. IOP was measured with a noncontact tomometer. RESULTS: On treatment with brinzolamide and latanoprost, a significant decrease in IOP compared to timolol and latanoprost was observed at all time points except at 3 PM and 6 PM. As a group, the patients had a significantly lower diurnal mean IOP and nocturnal mean IOP during treatment with brinzolamide and latanoprost than with timolol and latanoprost. CONCLUSIONS: Treatment of POAG with a combination of brinzolamide and latanoprost demonstrated improved hypotensive effects compared with timolol and latanoprost during a 24-hour period.