Recent studies have highlighted some of the most common side effects related to Ozempic and other weight loss drugs, including digestive issues and even dehydration.
Now, a new study conducted by researchers from Mass Eye and Ear is exploring the potential risks to visual health.
According to the team of researchers, semaglutide, which is the active ingredient in weight loss drugs Ozempic and Wegovy, may increase consumers’ risk of a rare form of blindness – nonarteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy (NAION).
“The use of these drugs has exploded throughout industrialized countries and they have provided very significant benefits in many ways, but future discussions between and a patient and their physician should include NAION as a potential risk,” said researcher Dr. Joseph Rizzo. “It is important to appreciate, however, that increased risk relates to a disorder that is relatively uncommon.”
What are the risks?
For the study, Rizzo and his team analyzed data from over 17,000 patients at Mass Eye and Ear between from 2017 through 2023. They broke down the patients’ medical histories based on those who were given Ozempic or Wegovy, comparing who was prescribed the drug for diabetes versus obesity, while also looking at those prescribed semaglutide versus other diabetes/weight loss drugs.
Ultimately, about 1,700 patients were prescribed either semaglutide or another weight loss/diabetes drug. The numbers broke down as follows:
710 patients had type 2 diabetes
194 were prescribed semaglutide, 516 were prescribed other medications
979 patients were overweight/obese
361 were prescribed semaglutide, 618 were prescribed other medications
Of those who had type 2 diabetes who were also given semaglutide, 17 patients developed NAION. On the other hand, just six type 2 diabetics who were given other medications developed the visual impairment condition.
Similarly, 20 patients who took semaglutide for weight loss developed NAION, compared with three who took other drugs.
What is NAION?
Nonarteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy occurs when there is reduced blood flow to the optic nerve. The condition is rare, affecting up to 10 out of 100,000 people.
However, there is no cure for NAION. People who develop the condition may see progressive vision loss over a few days that eventually stabilizes, though nothing can be done to get vision back.
While it remains unclear how semaglutide may affect the optic nerve, the researchers want to do more work in this area to get a better idea of how the popular drugs are impacting consumers’ vision.
“Our findings should be viewed as being significant but tentative, as future studies are needed to examine these questions in a much larger and more diverse populations,” Rizzo said. “This is information we did not have before and it should be included in discussions between patients and their doctors, especially if patients have other optic nerve problems like glaucoma or if there is preexisting significant visual loss from other causes.”
