A 6-month assessment of bimatoprost 0.03% vs timolol maleate 0.5%: hypotensive efficacy, macular thickness and flare in ocular-hypertensive and glaucoma patients

Aim To compare 6 months of treatment with bimatoprost and timolol in terms of their hypotensive efficacy and secondary effects, including changes in macular thickness and the inflammatory reaction induced in the anterior chamber. Methods A prospective, randomized, parallel-group trial performed on 30 eyes of 30 patients per group. The main outcome measure was the difference between the IOP value taken between the baseline visit and the 6-month-visit. Macular thickness determined through optical coherence tomography and anterior chamber inflammation estimated using the laser flare meter was also evaluated. Adverse events were recorded during the study period. Results Bimatoprost treatment gave rise to a significantly lower mean IOP than timolol in all follow-up visits as from the first month ( P