Few other drugs have attracted as much attention. SemaglutideInjectable drugs are sold under brand names Wegovi and Ozempicis approved by the FDA to aid in weight loss. Type 2 diabetesHowever, research and common use by the general public have revealed some notable potential side effects, including: From diarrhea to thyroid tumors.
Now there’s new evidence: Semaglutide has been linked to a rare form of vision loss called non-arteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy (NAION), according to a new study published in 2010. JAMA Ophthalmology.
But doctors, including one of the study’s researchers, say this is because semaglutide Cause NAOIN. Only tentative links have been detected at this time.
Meet the experts: Howard Krauss, MDa surgical neuro-ophthalmologist and director of the Eye, Ear and Skull Base Center at the Pacific Neuroscience Institute in Santa Monica, California.
So, what did the study find and what does it mean? Here are the key points:
What did the study find?
For the study, researchers analyzed the medical records of more than 17,000 patients who were treated at Massachusetts Eye & Ear, Nose & Throat (METH), a specialty clinic that we’ll return to later, between Dec. 1, 2017, and Nov. 30, 2023.
Patients were divided into those with diabetes and those who were overweight or obese. The researchers also compared patients who were overweight or obese, or who were taking semaglutide for diabetes, with patients who were taking other medications for diabetes or weight loss. They then looked at the proportion of all of these patients who were diagnosed with NAION.
Although NAOIN is a rare eye disease, it is the second leading cause of optic nerve blindness and can lead to permanent vision loss. Brigham and Women’s HospitalThe exact cause of NAION isn’t clear, but it’s thought to be caused by reduced blood flow to the optic disc. It’s more common in people with certain conditions, such as diabetes, high blood pressure, and sleep apnea, according to Brigham and Women’s Hospital.
According to the study co-authors, NAION can begin suddenly and progress over several days. Joseph RizzoDirector of Neuro-Ophthalmology Services at Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary, MD.
The researchers found that people who had taken semaglutide in the past six years were at increased risk of developing NAAOIN. Specifically, 11% of diabetic patients who took semaglutide developed NAOIN, compared with only 3% of diabetic patients taking other medications.
Is the increased risk significant?
Here’s where things get a little complicated: Looking at the data, it’s easy to think that semaglutide causes rare forms of blindness, but doctors say the reality is more complicated.
Howard Krauss, MDThe surgical neuro-ophthalmologist and director of the Eye, Ear, and Skull Base Center at the Pacific Neuroscience Institute in Santa Monica, California, emphasizes that Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary is a specialty clinic, so the organization tends to see more severe cases of eye-health problems, which may skew the study population somewhat.
But Krauss also points out that there could be something else going on behind the scenes that causes these patients to take semaglutide, but that it has nothing to do with the drug itself. “Could there be a confluence of factors that mean that more severely ill patients with diabetes and obesity are more likely to be prescribed semaglutide?” he says.
These people may already have been at higher risk for developing NAION, which may explain the higher incidence of the disease in this group, Krauss says. Diabetes already increases the risk of NAION, and high blood pressure and sleep apnea are common comorbidities in people who are overweight or obese, Krauss says. Again, people with more severe diabetes or obesity may be more likely to take semaglutide over other medications.
Rizzo also said the findings don’t mean that taking semaglutide will cause you to go blind, just that they found an association. “This study doesn’t prove causation,” he said.
Do the findings of this study apply to non-diabetic people taking semaglutide?
It’s difficult. Because the study only looked at people with diabetes and who were overweight, doctors say it’s hard to draw any conclusions based on the results. The study also Prove Despite reports that taking semaglutide may increase the risk of developing NAION, Krauss says this conclusion is more difficult to draw.
What are the lessons to be learned from this study?
At this point, the study has only just uncovered the link between semaglutide and NAION, and more research is needed, the doctors said.
“The data presented do not allow us to conclude that semaglutide increases the risk of NAION, but it does allow us to make hypotheses that have not yet been tested,” Krauss says, meaning that further research is needed.
Meanwhile, Rizzo says people taking semaglutide shouldn’t be alarmed by the results, but he stresses the importance of regular eye checks, especially if you have a condition such as diabetes.
Collin Miller is a freelance writer specializing in general health, sexual health and relationships, and lifestyle trends, and has written for Men’s Health, Women’s Health, Self, Glamour, and more. He has a master’s degree from American University, lives by the beach, and hopes to one day run a Teacup Pig and taco truck.
