Ozempic, Wegovy Linked to Higher Risk of Rare Form of Vision Loss, Study Suggests

Boxes of the diabetes drug Ozempic rest on a pharmacy counter in Los Angeles on April 17, 2023. Mario Tama/Getty Images

People who use diabetes drugs Ozempic or Wegovy may be at increased risk of developing a rare form of blindness, according to a new study published on July 3 in the medical journal JAMA Ophthalmology.

In the study, researchers looked at whether the risk of non-arteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy (NAION) is increased in Type 2 diabetics or overweight or obese patients who are prescribed semaglutide—the generic name for Ozempic and Wegovy.

The researchers, at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, the Chan School of Public Health, and Massachusetts Eye and Ear, at Harvard Medical School in Boston, analyzed a cohort study of  16,827 patients in the Boston area—none of whom had the eye condition—from between Dec. 1, 2017, through Nov. 30, 2023.

They then looked closer at 1,700 of those patients who either had diabetes or were overweight, and compared the frequency of NAION in the individuals who were prescribed semaglutide to those who were not, over a 36-month period.

They found that out of 194 patients with Type 2 diabetes who were prescribed semaglutide, 17 eventually developed NAION over the course of 36 months. That rate of diagnosis was more than four times higher than those who were not prescribed the drug, according to the study.

Meanwhile, among the 361 obese patients who took semaglutide, 20 developed NAION, a rate of diagnoses seven times higher than those who did not take semaglutide drugs.

Researchers said their findings “suggest a potential risk of NAION associated with prescriptions for semaglutide.”

The study authors said further research is needed to confirm a definitive link between the diabetes drugs and the rare form of blindness.

In a statement to The Epoch Times, Danish pharmaceutical company Novo Nordisk, the maker of Ozempic and Wegovy, said the study lacked sufficient data to establish a link between semaglutide and NAION.

“Patient safety is a top priority for Novo Nordisk, and we take all reports about adverse events from the use of our medicines very seriously,” the spokesperson said.

“Semaglutide has also been studied in large real-world evidence studies and robust clinical development programs with a cumulative exposure including from post-marketing use of over 22 million patient years.

“The totality of data provides reassurance of the safety profile of semaglutide,” the spokesperson said.

What Is NAION?

According to Brigham and Women’s Hospital, NAION refers to loss of blood flow to the optic nerve, which connects the eye to the brain. The condition typically causes sudden vision loss in one eye, usually without pain, that does not get significantly better or worse.

NAION is rare and largely affects adults over the age of 50, although the mean age of onset is 66, according to the American Academy of Ophthalmology.

Although the disease affects both sexes equally, individuals with cardiovascular disease, diabetes, obstructive sleep apnea, high blood pressure, or high cholesterol have an increased risk.

In the United States, the disorder is found in between 2.3 to 10 individuals in every 100,000 people older than 50, according to the American Academy of Ophthalmology.

There is currently no known cure for NAION.