Sustainable treatment of glaucoma patients with cardiovascular diseases

Abstract

As life expectancy increases, the incidence of glaucoma is expected to rise worldwide. The review presents data on the comorbidity and polypharmacy of old and senile patients with glaucoma. Such patients also often have polypathia: on average, they have 6.3±0.6 concomitant somatic diseases. Approximately one in five glaucoma patients receives both a systemic and local beta-blocker (ВВ). Parallel use of local and systemic drugs in glaucoma patients is likely to cause drug interaction, increase side effects and contribute to an earlier onset of the tachyphylaxis. The selectivity of oral and local ВВ is one of the factors contributing to the prediction of their additive effect. The data on the expediency of prescribing brimonidine as the first-choice drug for glaucoma and hypertension patients who were previously prescribed systemic ВВ are presented.

Keywords

• beta-blockers
• comorbidity
• polypathia
• polypragmasia
• cardiovascular pathology
• glaucoma