A study was recently published in JAMA Ophthalmology which details the link between the diabetes/weight loss drug semaglutide (brand names of Ozempic or Wegovy) and the eye condition non-arteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy (NAION).
Weight loss drugs have become extremely popular. Ozempic and Wegovy were originally prescribed for type 2 diabetics to help regulate blood sugar, but once their weight loss effect was discovered they have since become prescriptions to help those struggling to lose weight.
NAION is a rare condition that affects 10 out of 100,000 people and has no available treatments. The condition is caused by a reduced blood flow to the optic nerve.
Researchers examined records of over 17,00 patients who were treated at Mass Eye and Ear since the introduction of Ozempic to the market. Patients were divided into two groups dependent upon whether they had been prescribed a weight loss drug. Patients were also divided according to whether they were diagnosed with type 2 diabetes or obesity.
What researchers found was that diabetic patients who were on semaglutide were over 4 times more likely to develop NAION. Patients who were prescribed semaglutide for weight loss were more than 7 times more likely to end up with the condition.
Researchers stress that additional studies are needed to determine causality and to also examine the differences in risks between diabetic patients and overweight patients.
