Weight Loss Drugs Linked to Rare Blindness Risk, Study Finds

Semaglutide drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy have seemingly exploded in popularity in recent years. As more doctors prescribe these medications for weight loss, scientists are diving in to the potential risks that they may present in humans down the road.  

A new study published in the JAMA Ophthamology journal researchers illuminates one concerning health outcome that could be possibly linked to semaglutide use. According to the study, people were prescribed semaglutide as Ozempic for diabetes or Wegovy for weight loss were more likely to be diagnosed with a rare medical condition called nonarteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy (NAION), per The Guardian. It's essentially a stroke of the optic nerve, which can lead to blindness. 

The scientists noted, however, that they have no evidence that semaglutide directly causes NAION. They simply found that patients taking the drug had a greater risk of developing it. 

"The use of these drugs has exploded throughout industrialized countries and they have provided very significant benefits in many ways, but future discussions between a patient and their physician should include NAION as a potential risk," study co-author Dr. Joseph Rizzo said in a statement. "It is important to appreciate, however, that the increased risk relates to a disorder that is relatively uncommon." The condition is estimated to affect roughly two to 10 people out of 100,000. 

"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 population,” Rizzo added. "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 known optic nerve problems like glaucoma or if there is preexisting significant visual loss from other causes."

Novo Nordisk, the company behind Ozempic and Wegovy, said in a statement that patient safety is paramount. It noted that the study data does not establish a "causal association" between the drugs and NAION, and that NAION is not one of the potential side effects on their marketing labels approved by the Food and Drug Administration. 

"Semaglutide has been studied in large real-world evidence studies and robust clinical development programs with a cumulative exposure over 22 million patient years," the pharmaceutical company told USA Today. 

As always, talk with your doctor to determine if either of these medications are right for you.