A recent study conducted by Rutgers University researchers highlights the possibility that GLP-1 receptor agonists raise the risk of ischemic optic neuropathy.
Ischemic optic neuropathy causes a sudden reduction of blood flow to the optic nerve, which can cause sudden and, in many cases, permanent partial vision loss.
GLP-1 receptor agonists include the drugs like Zepbound, Wegovy and Ozempic, among others and are used to treat type 2 diabetes as well as obesity. In the study, funded by the National Institutes of Health, researchers followed a large group of adults between the ages of 18 and 65 who were being treated for type 2 diabetes.
Researchers found that for every 10,000 patients treated with GLP-1 drugs, there was three to four cases diagnosed over an 18-month period when compared to diabetic patients taking the diabetic drugs called SGLT2 inhibitors or DPP4 inhibitors.
The study noted that the increased risk was small but that doctors and their patients needed to be aware of the potential risk.
