Target intraocular pressure (IOP) should be considered as:

• A. A range
• B. A single number
• C. The average value
• D. The minimum value

Answer: (A)

Target IOP should be considered as a range rather than a single fixed value. IOP fluctuates during the day and from visit to visit, and measurement can vary due to technique and instrument. Because glaucoma progression risk depends on the individual’s baseline pressure, level of damage to the optic nerve, and other factors like age and life expectancy, clinicians set a window that provides a safe margin rather than a rigid number. This range accounts for diurnal variation and measurement variability while aiming to keep most readings within it to slow or halt progression. In practice, the target window is tailored to the patient—more aggressive targets for advanced or high-risk disease, more modest targets for milder cases—so treatment seeks to bring pressures into that window and is adjusted if progression occurs or readings consistently fall outside the range.