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Comparative Effectiveness of First-line Medications for Primary Open Angle Glaucoma – A Systematic Review and Network Meta-analysis
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Abstract
Topic
Primary open angle glaucoma (POAG) is a highly prevalent condition worldwide and the most common cause of irreversible sight loss. The objective is to assess the comparative effectiveness of first line medical treatments in patients with POAG or ocular hypertension through a systematic review and network meta-analysis, and to provide relative rankings of these treatments.
Clinical Relevance
Treatment for POAG currently relies completely on lowering the intraocular pressure (IOP). While topical drops, lasers, and surgeries can be considered in the initial treatment of glaucoma, most patients elect to start treatment with eye drops.
Methods
We included randomized controlled trials that compared a single active topical medication with no treatment/placebo or another single topical medication. We searched CENTRAL, MEDLINE, EMBASE and the Food and Drug Administration's website. Two individuals independently assessed trial eligibility, abstracted data, and assessed the risk of bias. We performed Bayesian network meta-analyses.
Results
We included 114 randomized controlled trials with data from 20,275 participants. The overall risk of bias of the included trials is mixed. The mean reductions (95% credible intervals) in IOP in mmHg at 3 months, ordered from the most to least effective drugs were: bimatoprost 5·61 (4·94; 6·29), latanoprost 4·85 (4·24; 5·46), travoprost 4·83 (4·12; 5·54), levobunolol 4·51 (3·85; 5·24), tafluprost 4·37 (2·94; 5·83), timolol 3·7 (3·16; 4·24), brimonidine 3·59 (2·89; 4·29), carteolol 3·44 (2·42; 4·46), levobetaxolol 2·56 (1·52; 3·62), apraclonidine 2·52 (0·94; 4·11), dorzolamide 2·49 (1·85; 3·13), brinzolamide 2·42 (1·62; 3·23), betaxolol 2·24 (1·59; 2·88), and unoprostone 1·91 (1·15; 2·67).
Conclusions
All active first-line drugs are effective compared to placebo in reducing IOP at 3 months. Bimatoprost, latanoprost, and travoprost are among the most efficacious drugs, although the within class differences were small and may not be clinically meaningful. All factors, including adverse effects, patient preferences, and cost should be considered in selecting a drug for a given patient.