THE EFFECTIVENESS OF LEVOBUNOLOL VERSUS TRAVOPROST IN REDUCING INTRAOCULAR PRESSURE; A COMPARATIVE STUDY CONDUCTED IN A TERTIARY CARE HOSPITAL OF PESHAWAR.

Objective: To compare the therapeutic efficacy of Levobunolol and Travoprost for lowering intra-ocular pressure (IOP) in patients with primary open-angle glaucoma and ocular hypertension. Materials and Methods: A Quasi experimental study was conducted in the ophthalmology department of Khyber Teaching Hospital, Peshawar. One-hundred and twenty patients of both genders and age between 18-80 years with primary open angle glaucoma or ocular hypertension requiring single pressure lowering drug were enrolled in the study. Subjects were divided into two groups (60 in each). One group was treated with Travoprost eye drops (0.004%, OD) while other group with Levobunolol eye drops (0.5%, OD). After initial screening visit where demographic data and baseline IOP was recorded on the structured proforma, three follow-up visits were arranged each at 02 weeks interval. At each follow-up visit, IOP was recorded by standard protocol to evaluate and compare the ocular hypotensive efficacy of the study drugs by calculating mean IOP change from the baseline. Only patients with no missing IOP measurements for all visits were considered eligible for efficacy evaluation. Results: A total of 120 patients were observed having age range from 18 years and above with mean age 52.16 ± 9.56 years and predominance of male gender. Upon comparative analysis, no significant statistical difference (p value >0.05) was observed in the ocular hypotensive ability of Levobunolol and Travoprost measured at each follow-up visit, indicating both drugs as equally effective. Moreover, age groups did not reveal any significant statistical impact on the treatment outcome of patients treated with either study drug. Conclusion: Clinical data revealed that both study drugs reduced the intraocular pressure (IOP) without any significant difference and were found equally effective in primary open angle glaucoma and ocular hypertension. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]