A recent study has identified a potential link between the use of GLP-1-targeted diabetes and anti-obesity drug semaglutide, marketed as Wegovy/Ozempic by Novo Nordisk, and a rare ophthalmic condition. Research published in JAMA Ophthalmology revealed that physicians at Harvard and Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston discovered an increased risk for users of semaglutide to develop non-arteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy (NAION), a condition that can lead to sudden and persistent vision loss.
The study involved a retrospective observational analysis of registry data from 16,827 patients at the hospital, tracking their progress from December 1, 2017, to November 2023. The objective was to assess the correlation between the use of semaglutide and the risk of NAION. The results indicated that within the type 2 diabetic population, there were 17 NAION events among patients prescribed semaglutide compared to 6 in those receiving non-GLP-1-targeted treatments. In the obese/overweight population, 20 NAION events were recorded in the semaglutide group versus 3 in the non-GLP-1 treatment group. These findings suggest a correlation between the use of semaglutide and the potential risk of NAION. However, the authors emphasize that further research is necessary to establish causality.- Flcube.com
