The Beijing Eye Study 2006, conducted by the Beijing Institute of Ophthalmology, included 3,251 subjects (73.3 percent), aged 45 years and older, out of 4,439 subjects who participated in a 2001 survey and who returned for reexamination. The researchers investigated the normative data of anterior chamber depth (ACD) and angle width and their associations in Chinese adults.

Each of the study participants underwent an ophthalmologic examination including measurement of the anterior chamber dimensions by slit-lamp-based optical coherence tomography (OCT). Out of the 3,251 subjects, OCT measurements were available for 2,985 subjects (91.8 percent). Mean ACD measured 2.42 +/- 0.34 mm and the mean anterior chamber angle (ACA) was 38.3 +/- 16.3 degrees. In multivariate analysis, a shallow chamber depth was significantly associated with age, hyperopic refractive error, female gender, short body stature, nuclear cataract, central corneal thickness (CCT), large optic disc and presence of chronic angle-closure glaucoma. Correspondingly, a narrow ACA was associated with age, female gender, hyperopia, nuclear cataract, short body stature, large optic disc and angle-closure glaucoma. Chamber depth and angle width were not associated with presence of age-related maculopathy and diabetic retinopathy.

The authors believe the results of this study may be helpful in explaining anatomic relationships of the anterior segment of the eye and in elucidating risk factors of angle-closure glaucoma.

Doctor-patient communications and health-related beliefs of patients contribute to patient adherence to medical therapies for open-angle glaucoma, according to a study by Baltimore"s Wilmer Eye Institute and the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

The investigators used multiple data sources to determine the drivers of patient adherence to topical ocular hypotensive therapy, including retrospective database and chart reviews in combination with prospective patient surveys. The study covered diverse medical environments where insured patients in the research database sought care. The study included records of 300 patients with a new claim diagnosis for open-angle glaucoma who initially were prescribed one of three prostaglandins, and 103 physicians participating in the same medical plans. Surveyed patients participated in a structured interview addressing self-reported adherence, experiences with medication, communication with the physician and health-related beliefs associated with adherence behavior; phone interviews were conducted with participating ophthalmologists.

Eight variables were associated independently with a lower medication possession ratio: 1) hearing all of what you know about glaucoma from your doctor (compared with some or nothing of what you know); 2) not believing that reduced vision is a risk of not taking medication as recommended; 3) having a problem paying for medications; 4) difficulty adhering to medication regimen while traveling or away from home; 5) not acknowledging stinging and burning; 6) being non-white; 7) receiving medication samples; and 8) not receiving a phone call reminder to visit your doctor. The multivariate model explained 21 percent of the variance.

Based on the results of the study, the authors concluded that patient learning styles associated with less concern about the future effects of glaucoma and the risks of not taking medications are associated with lower adherence. Specifically, knowledge about potential vision loss from glaucoma is a critical element of patient education that tends to be missed by more passive, doctor-dependent patients who tend to be poorly adherent. The findings suggest that educational efforts in the office may improve patient adherence to medical therapies for glaucoma.