COAST is a collaborative study between researchers in the US and the UK in partnership with the National Eye Institute / National Institutes of Health to investigate the optimal energy level and frequency of laser therapy to treat glaucoma. For more information, click one of the boxes below.
For Doctors
Click here to learn more about the design and goals of COAST
For Patients
Click here to learn more about glaucoma, laser treatment, and the COAST Trial
Researchers in the U.S. and the U.K. are collaborating with the National Eye Institute to investigate the optimal energy level and frequency of laser therapy to treat glaucoma.
Selective laser trabeculoplasty (SLT) has been a treatment option for newly diagnosed open-angle glaucoma or ocular hypertension for nearly 20 years. However, few studies have specifically compared multiple energy levels directly in a head-to-head fashion.
The overall goal of the COAST Trial is to identify the optimal application of SLT therapy beginning at the time of diagnosis.
Specifically, the goal of this study is to understand if SLT performed at low energy is as effective as SLT performed at standard energy, and also to see if repeating SLT at low energy once a year will prevent or delay the need for daily eye drop medications better than waiting for SLT to wear off before repeating it.
Optimizing SLT utilization is a key step on the path to drop-free glaucoma therapy.