Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41860066›Full record

SynthesisActa ophthalmologica2026

The efficacy and safety of reducing intraocular pressure to single-digit levels in Normal-tension glaucoma: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Beatriz Araújo-Azevedo, Renato Ferreira-da-Silva, João Barbosa-Breda

Abstract readSystematic ReviewMeta-AnalysisReview
In one paragraph

Synthesis in Acta ophthalmologica, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

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0citing papers in PubMed
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1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

3 authors.

Beatriz Araújo-AzevedoFaculty of Medicine of the University of Porto, Porto, Portugal.ORCID https://orcid.org/0009-0007-0238-8546
Renato Ferreira-da-SilvaPorto Pharmacovigilance Centre, Faculty of Medicine of the University of Porto, Porto, Portugal.
João Barbosa-BredaRISE-Health, Department of Surgery and Physiology, Faculty of Medicine of the University of Porto.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7816-816X

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

purposeThis systematic review and meta-analysis aim to evaluate the efficacy and safety of further lowering intraocular pressure (IOP) to single-digit levels in treated patients with progressive normal-tension glaucoma (NTG).

methodsA literature search was conducted in MEDLINE (via PubMed), Scopus and Web of Science. We selected studies that reported quantitative visual field (VF) data on the efficacy of the interventions. Study outcomes include VF progression rates, changes in IOP and IOP-lowering medication use. Meta-analysis was conducted for VF mean deviation (MD) slope (db/year) using R, with paired mean differences and 95% confidence intervals (CI) calculated.

resultsNine observational studies, including 270 eyes, were analysed. Trabeculectomy was performed across all studies. One study compared trabeculectomy with prostaglandin analogues. On average, IOP decreased from 14.77 ± 0.95 mmHg preoperatively to 9.82 ± 1.55 mmHg postoperatively, reflecting a mean reduction of 33.65 ± 10.37%. This reduction slowed glaucoma progression, as indicated by a change in the mean VF MD slope from -0.91 ± 0.27 dB/year preoperatively to -0.25 ± 0.16 dB/year postoperatively. Meta-analysis showed a significant change in VF MD slope following trabeculectomy, with a pooled mean difference of 0.59 dB/year (95% CI: 0.38 to 0.80; p < 0.0001). Single-digit IOP levels were shown to be both achievable and sustainable. The most common postoperative complications included hypotony-related complications and hyphema.

conclusionsAchieving single-digit IOP levels is associated with a significant reduction in visual field progression rates. However, the balance between efficacy and safety must be considered, as aggressive IOP reduction is also associated with a higher risk of hypotony-related complications. Postoperative hypotony was relatively frequent but generally transient and did not appear to have a significant impact on long-term visual acuity. Copyright © 2026 Acta Ophthalmologica Scandinavica Foundation.

Indexed as

Antiglaucoma AgentsIntraocular PressureLow Tension GlaucomaTrabeculectomyVisual FieldsDisease ProgressionHumansTreatment OutcomeAntiglaucoma Agentsglaucoma progressionintraocular pressurelow tension glaucomaNormal tension glaucomasystematic review

Identifiers

PMID41860066
PMCPMC13651934

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.