Glaucoma risk calculator helps with clinical decisions

A newly developed glaucoma risk calculator will enhance the management of untreated ocular hypertension, said Robert N. Weinreb, MD, director, Hamilton Glaucoma Center, and distinguished professor of ophthalmology, University of California, San Diego (UCSD).

The risk calculator was created by Felipe A. Medeiros, MD, assistant professor of ophthalmology, Dr. Weinreb, and colleagues at the Hamilton Glaucoma Center. Its development and validation testing are described in a recently published article [Medeiros FA, et al. Arch Ophthalmol 2005;123:1351-1360].

The risk assessment tool was designed to calculate the likelihood of progressing from ocular hypertension to glaucoma based on six clinical features that were identified as risk factors in the Ocular Hypertension Treatment Study (OHTS):

"Based on a multifactorial model used in cardiovascular medicine to assess the risk of a cardiovascular event and candidacy for lipid-lowering therapy, the glaucoma risk calculator was developed to integrate the risk factors identified in OHTS, so that clinicians could use them collectively to aid in identifying patients who should and should not be considered for IOP-lowering treatment," he continued.