Validation of Rates of Mean Deviation Change as Clinically Relevant End Points for Glaucoma Progression.

PURPOSE

To investigate whether rates of standard automated perimetry (SAP) mean deviation (MD) over an initial 2-year follow-up period were predictive of events of visual field progression over an extended follow-up.

DESIGN

Longitudinal, prospective, observational study.

PARTICIPANTS

Two hundred forty-six eyes of 168 patients with glaucoma followed up every 6 months for up to 5 years.

METHODS

Patients were required to have a minimum of 5 reliable SAP tests during the first 2 years of follow-up. Events of progression were evaluated using 2 methods: Guided Progression Analysis (GPA; Carl Zeiss Meditec, Inc) and a United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-suggested end point. The date of the first test showing progression after the first 2 years was considered to be the event date. Rates of change in SAP MD were calculated for the first 2 years of follow-up, and joint longitudinal survival models were used to assess the risk of faster initial MD loss for subsequent progression based on each event analysis.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE

Risk of having an event of progression based on initial rates of SAP MD change.

RESULTS

Fifty-six eye (22.8%) showed an event of progression by the GPA and 51 eyes (20.7%) did so by the FDA end point. Each 0.1-dB/year faster rate of SAP MD loss in the first 2 years was associated with a 26% increase in risk of a GPA progression end point developing (R = 76%) and 32% risk of an FDA-based end point developing (R = 83%). A reduction of 30% in the rate of MD change in the first 2 years was associated with a 20% reduction in the cumulative probability of a progression event developing over 5 years of follow-up.

CONCLUSIONS

Rates of SAP MD change for eyes with glaucoma calculated over the initial 2 years of follow-up were strongly predictive of events of progression over subsequent follow-up. Our findings give support for the use of slopes of MD change as suitable end points of progression in clinical trials.

FINANCIAL DISCLOSURE(S): Proprietary or commercial disclosure may be found after the references.