Thousands of people with or at risk of developing a potentially blinding form of glaucoma will benefit from a new guideline published by NICE and the National Clinical Guideline Centre.
The guideline aims to improve the diagnosis and management of chronic open angle glaucoma (COAG) and ocular hypertension (OHT). COAG is a common condition involving optic nerve damage and loss of the visual field that can lead to blindness if not diagnosed early and treated promptly. OHT (raised pressure in the eye) is a major risk factor for developing COAG. Recommendations from the guideline include:
• People who have COAG, who are suspected of having COAG or who have OHT should be offered tests, including assessments of the eye pressure, the thickness of the cornea, the drainage area in the eye, and field of vision and an assessment and image of the appearance of the optic nerve heads.
• People at risk of developing glaucoma should be monitored regularly using tests similar to those used to diagnose glaucoma.
• Clarity on monitoring intervals for testing people who have glaucoma or are at risk of developing it, and recommendations on followup of patients who turn out not to have glaucoma after a period of careful monitoring.
• Treatment with prostaglandins or beta-blockers to reduce high eye pressure in people with glaucoma or those at risk of the condition.
