Key Points
- Experts say risk of NAION rare
- Only 32 cases among 60,000 participants
- Semaglutide in Ozempic, Wegovy main culprit
ISLAMABAD: Building on previous findings, a study in Denmark and Norway has confirmed that semaglutide – the active ingredient in Ozempic and Wegovy – was linked to a higher risk of a rare eye condition known as “eye stroke.”
A July 2024 study published in JAMA Ophthalmology – a peer-reviewed research journal – had associated the non-arteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy (NAION) to semaglutide.
Researchers found that people taking semgalutide were more than twice as likely to develop NAION compared to those using SGLT2 inhibitors, another type 2 diabetes medication.
According to Verywell Health – a website dedicated to health-related news – the absolute risk of the eye condition remains low.
“Only 32 cases of NAION were reported in the study, which included data from over 60,000 people,” the study found.
Surprising results
The results surprised the researchers, said Anton Pottegård, PhD, DMSc, MSc, a co-author of the study and a professor of clinical pharmacology at the University of Southern Denmark.
Pottegård noted that his team’s investigation involved a stronger data source from the Danish and Norwegian nationwide registries, a significant expansion from the earlier US study, which included 16,000 people.
“Semaglutide is widely used to treat type 2 diabetes and obesity,” the expert said.
While experts stress that the risk of NAION is rare, more research is needed to understand why semaglutide may increase susceptibility and which patients are most at risk.
Semaglutide is widely used to treat type 2 diabetes and obesity.” – Co-author Anton Pottegård
What is NAION?
According to scientists, NAION is a rare eye condition that mainly affects people over the age of 50.
“The main symptom of NAION is a sudden loss of vision, usually in one eye, due to a lack of blood flow.”
There is no treatment for NAION, and management focuses on addressing what underlying risk factors a person may have, such as diabetes, smoking, and taking certain medications.
Research needed
Pottegård emphasised that the overall risk of NAION is low and that more research is needed to understand if all glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1) agonists could increase a person’s risk of developing the condition.
“There’s certainly a need for research into not only why this happens, but also what patients are at risk of experiencing it,” said Pottegård.
