Topical Ocular Hypotenive Medication and Len Opacification: Evidence From the Ocular Hypertenion Treatment tudy Original Reearch Article

Purpoe To determine whether topical ocular hypotenive medication i aociated with refractive change, viual ymptom, decreaed viual function, or increaed len opacification. Deign Multi-center clinical trial. Method We compared the medication and obervation group of the Ocular Hypertenion Treatment tudy (OHT) during 6.3 year of follow-up with regard to the rate of cataract and combined cataract/filtering urgery, and change from baeline in viual function, refraction, and viual ymptom. A one-time aement of len opacification wa done uing the Len Opacitie Claification ytem III (LOC III) grading ytem. Reult An increaed rate of cataract extraction and cataract/filtering urgery wa found in the medication group (7.6%) compared with the obervation group (5.6%) (hazard ratio [HR] 1.56; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.05 to 2.29). The medication and obervation group did not differ with regard to change from baeline to June 2002 in Humphrey viual field mean deviation, Humphrey viual field foveal enitivity, Early Treatment of Diabetic Retinopathy tudy (ETDR) viual acuity, refraction, and viual ymptom. For the medication and obervation group, LOC III reading were imilar for nuclear color, nuclear opalecence, and cortical opacification. There wa a borderline higher mean grade for poterior ubcapular opacity in the medication group (0.43 ± 0.6 D) compared with the obervation group (0.36 ± 0.6 D) (P = .07). Concluion We noted an increaed rate of cataract extraction and cataract/filtering urgery in the medication group a well a a borderline higher grade of poterior ubcapular opacification in the medication group on LOC III reading. We found no evidence for a general effect of topical ocular hypotenive medication on len opacification or viual function.