A comparison of the efficacy of betaxolol and timolol in ocular hypertension with or without adrenaline.

Betaxolol hydrochloride, a selective beta 1-adrenergic blocker, is claimed to be less likely to aggravate chronic obstructive airways disease than timolol maleate, a nonselective beta-blocker. It is not clear which drug is more effective in lowering intraocular pressure (IOP) and how each acts in combination with topical adrenaline. To assess this we conducted a randomised clinical trial on ocular hypertensive patients. Both betaxolol and timolol produced a significant fall in IOP though not in all patients. No significant difference was found between betaxolol and timolol. The addition of dipivefrin gave an additional fall in some eyes only. No significant difference was found between the addition of dipivefrin and adrenaline. Some fellow eyes had a fall in IOP when dipivefrin was added to timolol. It is important to assess the response carefully in each individual eye when using betaxolol or timolol or when adding additional medication.