Can timolol maleate reduce the progression of myopia?

Abstract

A survey was presented at the Meeting of Nor-References

Effects of Topical Latanoprost on Intraocular Pressure and Myopia Progression in Young Guinea Pigs

“…The other earlier study in chicks tested timolol, a beta-blocker, which proved to have minimal effect on the development of FD myopia, even though it was found to lower IOP by approximately 18% in myopic eyes. 17 It is interesting that timolol is the only ocular hypotensive drug to have been evaluated clinically, and while a correlation between reductions in IOP and the rate of myopia progression was reported in the earliest of two studies, 21 the latter effect was reported to be small, even though timolol apparently lowered IOP by approximately 3 mm Hg. 21 , 22 Finally, recent study tested the efficacy of brimonidine, another ocular hypotensive drug, against lens-induced myopia in guinea pigs.…”

“… 17 It is interesting that timolol is the only ocular hypotensive drug to have been evaluated clinically, and while a correlation between reductions in IOP and the rate of myopia progression was reported in the earliest of two studies, 21 the latter effect was reported to be small, even though timolol apparently lowered IOP by approximately 3 mm Hg. 21 , 22 Finally, recent study tested the efficacy of brimonidine, another ocular hypotensive drug, against lens-induced myopia in guinea pigs. 28 Brimonidine belongs to a drug class different from that of both latanoprost and timolol, being an alpha-2 adrenergic agonist, with effects on both aqueous inflow and uveoscleral outflow.…”

“…20 Other earlier studies likewise found timolol to have no significant effect on axial elongation, despite its ocular hypotensive action. 21 , 22 The second drug to be tested in chicks was latanoprost, a prostaglandin (PG) F2-alpha analog, which was also used in the study reported here. However, in this earlier study, latanoprost was delivered by intravitreal injection rather than applied topically.…”

The short‐term influence of elevated intraocular pressure on axial length

“…However, the evidence from a number of cross sectional 12–14 and longitudinal studies 15,16 investigating a range of populations have presented conflicting results regarding the potential association between IOP and the presence or progression of myopia in human subjects. Attempts to arrest myopia progression by lowering IOP using adrenergic antagonists have also not consistently proved to be effective 17–19 …”

“…Attempts to arrest myopia progression by lowering IOP using adrenergic antagonists have also not consistently proved to be effective. [17][18][19] There have been relatively limited studies on human subjects investigating the short-term influence of elevated IOP on the axial length of the eye. Short-term mechanically induced IOP elevations of relatively large magnitude (i.e.…”