What term describes the guideline for how much to lower IOP in a given case?

• A. Baseline IOP
• B. Peak IOP
• C. Target IOP
• D. Maximum tolerated IOP

Answer: (C)

In glaucoma care, clinicians set a target intraocular pressure to aim for, guiding how much to lower IOP in a given patient. This target is individualized based on how advanced the disease is, how much optic nerve damage or visual field loss has occurred, past IOP history (including peak values), corneal thickness, age, and other risk factors. The goal is to reduce IOP enough to slow or prevent further optic nerve damage while staying within what the patient can tolerate safely.

This target IOP serves as a practical goal for treatment strategies, whether meds, laser, or surgery, and it can be adjusted over time if progression occurs or if lowering further is tolerated. In contrast, baseline IOP is simply the initial measurement before treatment, and peak IOP refers to the highest IOP recorded in the past. Maximum tolerated IOP is the highest level a patient can endure without unacceptable side effects, not the objective to achieve.