Study the effect of B - blocker eye drops on pulmonary function tests in old patients with chronic simple glaucoma

ABSTRACT

Forty-four patients with chronic simple glaucoma and 20 normal controls were included in this study. All subjects were above 60 years of age; they were without a history of airways diseases or radiological pulmonary diseases. Also, all were nonsmokers and had no systemic diseases that may affect the pulmonary functions as diabetes mellitus, heart failure or renal failure. All cases were subjected to pulmonary function tests, FEV1, FVC, FEV1/FVC, FEF25-75 and PEFR. Then, patients with glaucoma were classified into two groups. Moreover, 20 subjects were included as a control group. At the end of the 6th month, pulmonary function tests were done to determine FEV1, FVC, FEV1/FVC, FEF25-75 and PEFR. The study concluded that no selective B-blocker eye drops in old patients may impair respiratory function, even if they have no history of reversible airway disease; so, using relatively selective B-blocker eye drops reduces the risk of respiratory impairment and heart failure. So, the study recommended to perform simple pulmonary function tests in elderly patients with chronic simple glaucoma to get knowledge about their baseline pulmonary function before giving B-blocker eye drops