Timolol ophthalmic solution should be used with caution in patients with which condition?

• A. Asthma
• B. Hypertension
• C. Hyperlipidemia
• D. Myopia

Answer: (A)

Timolol eye drops are a nonselective beta-blocker. Even though they're used in the eye, some of the drug enters the bloodstream and can block beta receptors throughout the body. In the lungs, beta-2 receptors promote smooth muscle relaxation; blocking them can cause bronchoconstriction. That reaction is particularly risky for people with asthma, where the airways are already prone to narrowing. So timolol should be used with caution in patients with asthma to avoid triggering bronchospasm.

Hypertension and hyperlipidemia are not direct contraindications because they don’t hinge on bronchial beta-2 receptor activity, and myopia doesn’t affect how timolol works.