The Ocular Hypertension Treatment Study: topical medication delays or prevents primary open-angle glaucoma in African American individuals.

Background: The prevalence of glaucoma is higher in African American individuals than in white individuals.

Objective: To report the safety and efficacy of topical ocular hypotensive medication in delaying or preventing the onset of primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG) among African American participants in the Ocular Hypertension Treatment Study.

Methods: Eligibility criteria included age between 40 and 80 years, intraocular pressure between 24 and 32 mm Hg in one eye and between 21 and 32 mm Hg in the other eye, and no evidence of glaucomatous structural or functional damage by standard clinical measures.