OBJECTIVES

: Glaucoma is a multifactorial optic neuropathy characterized by progressive loss of retinal ganglion cells and lesions in the optic nerve, which cause visual field defects. Glaucoma is the leading cause for blindness after cataracts worldwide. The aim was to identify anticholinergic drugs prescribed to patients diagnosed with closed-angle glaucoma in Colombia.

METHODS

: This cross-sectional study identified the prescribing patterns of cholinergic antagonists related to the increased intraocular pressure in patients diagnosed with closed-angle glaucoma from a Colombian database. The Anticholinergic Drug Scale was used to quantify the anticholinergic burden and patients were classified on a scale of 0-3 points according to anticholinergic potential.

RESULTS

: We identified 1958 patients with closed-angle glaucoma, with a mean age of 70.5 ± 10.3 years, 72.9% of whom were women. Cholinergic antagonists were prescribed in at least 32.4% of cases. The most frequently prescribed anticholinergic drugs were furosemide (6.1%), chlorpheniramine (4.2%) and codeine (3.1%). An age range between 75 and 84 years (odds ratio (OR) 2.35, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.366-4.059) and being aged 85 years or older (OR 3.40, 95% CI 1.809-6.425) were associated with a greater probability of receiving an anticholinergic burden between 1 and 2 points. Females (OR 1.54, 95% CI 1.096-2.181) had a higher probability of receiving an anticholinergic burden ≥ 3 points. Interactions between antiglaucoma medications and anticholinergic treatments were identified in 32.1% of the patients.

CONCLUSIONS

: Most patients were prescribed multiple antiglaucoma medications, reflecting a large number of potentially inappropriate prescriptions, with anticholinergic drugs, related to the increased intraocular pressure.