Stewart W C, Garrison P M
Department of Ophthalmology, University of South Carolina Medical School, Columbia, USA.
Arch Intern Med. 1998 Feb 9;158(3):221-6. doi: 10.1001/archinte.158.3.221.
Primary open-angle glaucoma is a condition associated with an elevated intraocular pressure (IOP) that is defined as optic degeneration with a slowly progressive deterioration of the visual field that may lead to blindness. More than 1 million Americans are being treated for glaucoma, and 80,000 are legally blind as a result of the disease. Glaucoma has its highest prevalence among the elderly population, with an incidence of approximately 1% in those older than 60 years, 3% in those between the ages of 70 and 80 years, and more than 9% in those older than 80 years. Treatment is directed at lowering high ocular pressures. The initial treatment, in most cases topical therapy with a beta-adrenergic blocking agent, reduces the IOP to help preserve sight. But such topical agents may also have adverse systemic effects on cardiac, pulmonary, central nervous system (CNS), and endocrine functions.
原发性开角型青光眼是一种与眼内压（IOP）升高相关的疾病，其定义为伴有视野缓慢进行性恶化的视神经变性，这种恶化可能导致失明。超过100万美国人正在接受青光眼治疗，其中8万人因该病而法定失明。青光眼在老年人群中患病率最高，60岁以上人群的发病率约为1%，70至80岁人群中为3%，80岁以上人群中超过9%。治疗旨在降低高眼压。在大多数情况下，初始治疗是使用β-肾上腺素能阻滞剂进行局部治疗，以降低眼压来帮助保护视力。但这类局部用药也可能对心脏、肺、中枢神经系统（CNS）和内分泌功能产生不良全身影响。
