The role of Brimonidine in the treatment of open-angle glaucoma

At present, medical therapy is the first line of attack against primary open-angle glaucoma. β-blockers, miotics, sympathomimetics, carbonic anhydrase inhibitors, and prostaglandins have been used with varying degrees of success. The α 2-agonists, clonidine, apraclonidine, and now brimonidine are po...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Survey of ophthalmology 1996-11, Vol.41, p.S3-S7
Main Author: Wilensky, Jacob T.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adrenergic alpha-Agonists - therapeutic use
Aqueous Humor - drug effects
brimonidine
Brimonidine Tartrate
Carbonic Anhydrase Inhibitors - therapeutic use
Glaucoma, Open-Angle - drug therapy
Humans
Intraocular Pressure - drug effects
ocular hypertension
open-angle glaucoma
Prostaglandins - therapeutic use
Quinoxalines - therapeutic use
Sympathomimetics - therapeutic use
α 2-adrenergic
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Summary:At present, medical therapy is the first line of attack against primary open-angle glaucoma. β-blockers, miotics, sympathomimetics, carbonic anhydrase inhibitors, and prostaglandins have been used with varying degrees of success. The α 2-agonists, clonidine, apraclonidine, and now brimonidine are powerful inhibitors of aqueous humor production, thereby lowering intraocular pressure (IOP) in these patients. Brimonidine is emerging as a potential first-line therapy for primary open-angle glaucoma, with a peak IOP-lowering efficacy comparable to that of timolol, but without timolol's adverse cardiopulmonary side effects. Brimonidine promises to be an important new drug to help meet the therapeutic challenges faced by ophthalmologists in treating glaucoma.
ISSN:0039-6257
1879-3304
DOI:10.1016/S0039-6257(96)82026-1