Studies of glaucomatous optic neuropathy have indicated that retinal ganglion cells die through the process of apoptosis. This is a genetically pre-programmed form of cell suicide that can be triggered by a variety of stimuli. Although the initial stimulus in glaucomatous optic neuropathy is believed to be either raised intraocular pressure or ischaemia, it is also known that initial injury can lead to further and on-going damage to other retinal ganglion cells that were initially spared. Strategies of neuroprotection have been proposed to protect these cells that escaped initial injury. It is hoped that these measures will prove effective in the future treatment of this potentially blinding disease.