Final answer:
Pilocarpine is a drug that decreases intraocular pressure by increasing uveoscleral outflow, thus helping to treat glaucoma. It acts as a muscarinic agonist and can be used either alone or with other medications to manage IOP.
Step-by-step explanation:
The medication that reduces intraocular pressure (IOP) by increasing uveoscleral outflow is pilocarpine. This drug is a nonspecific muscarinic agonist that treats various eye disorders, including glaucoma. Glaucoma is a condition characterized by the buildup of fluid pressure within the eye. Pilocarpine works by contracting the ciliary muscle, which in turn opens perforations at the base of the cornea, facilitating the drainage of aqueous humor from the anterior compartment of the eye.
Reducing IOP is critical in glaucoma management to prevent damage to the optic nerve and potential vision loss. Pilocarpine can be used alone or in combination with other agents that decrease IOP by different mechanisms, such as decreasing the production of aqueous humor or improving its outflow through the trabecular meshwork. These treatments are particularly important for individuals over 40, who are at the highest risk for developing glaucoma, and therefore should have routine IOP testing.
Pilocarpine reduces IOP and is used in glaucoma treatment by contracting ciliary muscles and increasing the drainage of aqueous humor via the uveoscleral pathway, thus lowering the fluid pressure in the eye. It is a muscarinic agonist that can be administered alone or in combination with other IOP-lowering drugs.