Glaucoma Laser Trial (GLT) Glaucoma Laser Trial Followup Study (GLTFS)

June 2, 2006 updated by: National Eye Institute (NEI)
To compare the safety and long-term efficacy of argon laser treatment of the trabecular meshwork with standard medical treatment for primary open-angle glaucoma.

Study Overview

Status

Completed

Conditions

Intervention / Treatment

Detailed Description

During the last decade, argon laser trabeculoplasty (ALT) has often been used instead of surgery as the treatment of choice in cases of open-angle glaucoma that could not be controlled by drugs. ALT treatment consists of tiny laser burns evenly spaced around the trabecular meshwork. It sometimes has been found to be effective in controlling glaucoma, although many eyes still require some medical treatment.

The Glaucoma Laser Trial (GLT), a randomized, controlled clinical trial, was conducted to determine whether ALT is effective in patients with newly diagnosed, primary, open-angle glaucoma. Each of the 271 patients in the trial received argon laser treatment in one eye and standard topical medication in the other eye. The eye to be started on medicine and the eye that would get the laser treatment were randomly selected. The Glaucoma Laser Trial Followup Study was a followup study of 203 of the 271 patients who enrolled in the Glaucoma Laser Trial. By the close of the Glaucoma Laser Trial Followup Study, median duration of followup since diagnosis of primary, open-angle glaucoma was 7 years (maximum, 9 years).

The argon laser treatment was done in two sessions 1 month apart, with one-half of the trabecular meshwork treated with 45 to 55 laser burns in each session. Patients were seen for a followup visit 3 months after the first laser treatment and every 3 months thereafter for a period of at least 2 years. At each visit, examination of the eyes included a check of intraocular pressure and visual acuity. Visual field examinations were performed 3, 6, and 12 months after randomization and annually thereafter. Disc stereo photographs were taken 6 and 12 months after randomization and annually thereafter.

The results of these examinations determined whether treatment should be changed. If the pressure in either eye had not been reduced to the desired level, the physician changed the medication in the eye treated with drops or started the use of drops in the laser-treated eye according to a standardized procedure being used in the trial. If intraocular pressure was still not successfully reduced, surgery or further laser treatment may have been required.

Study Type

Interventional

Phase

  • Phase 3

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Ages Eligible for Study

35 years and older (ADULT, OLDER_ADULT)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Genders Eligible for Study

All

Description

At the time of recruitment, patients had to be at least 35 years old with an intraocular pressure of at least 22 mm Hg or greater in each eye and evidence of optic nerve damage in at least one eye.

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: TREATMENT
  • Allocation: RANDOMIZED

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Publications and helpful links

The person responsible for entering information about the study voluntarily provides these publications. These may be about anything related to the study.

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start

January 1, 1984

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

September 23, 1999

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

September 23, 1999

First Posted (ESTIMATE)

September 24, 1999

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (ESTIMATE)

June 5, 2006

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

June 2, 2006

Last Verified

October 1, 2003

More Information

Terms related to this study

Other Study ID Numbers

  • NEI-43

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

Clinical Trials on Open-Angle Glaucoma

Clinical Trials on Argon Laser Treatment

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