J Korean Ophthalmol Soc.  1996 Aug;37(8):1315-1320.

The Acute Effects of Timolol and Betaxolol on the Peripapillary Retinal and Optic Nerve Head Microcirculation

• Baek SH
• Kim DM

Abstract

We investigated the acute effects of timolol (beta-adrenergic non-selective) and betaxolol (beta1-adrenergic selective) on the retinal and optic nerve head (ONH) microcirculation in healthy subjects with Heidelberg Retina Flowmeter (HRF). Intraocular pressure (IOP), heart rate, blood pressure, and retinal and ONH microcirculation were measured in 7 healthy subjects (3 F/ 4 M; mean age=27.2 +/- 1.1 years) before and 90 minutes after instillation of each drug on separate occasions at 2 weeks apart. Volume, flow, and velocity of microcirculation in the peripapillary retina and neural rim of ONH were measured using HRF. Both drugs significantly reduced IOP (Wilcoxon signed rank test; p=.03) without affecting heart rate or blood pressure. It had no effect on the volume, flow, and velocity of blood flow in the peripapillary retina and ONH (Wilcoxon signed rank test; p>.1), From the above results, we concluded that both timolol and betaxolol did not alter retinal and ONH microcirculation.

Keyword

beta-adrenergic blocker; retinal and optic nerve head microcirculation; Heidelberg Retina Flowmeter

MeSH Terms

Betaxolol*
Blood Pressure
Flowmeters
Heart Rate
Intraocular Pressure
Microcirculation
Optic Disk*
Optic Nerve*
Retina
Retinaldehyde*
Timolol*
Betaxolol
Retinaldehyde
Timolol