Trendy weight-loss drugs appear to increase the risk of a rare and potentially blinding eye condition, a new study warns.
People with diabetes prescribed semaglutide (Ozempic, Wegovy) were more than four times more likely to be diagnosed with non-arteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy (NAION), researchers reported Wednesday in the journal JAMA Ophthalmology.
Further, those who were overweight were more than seven times more likely to be diagnosed with NAION, results showed.
"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," said lead researcher Dr. Joseph Rizzo, director of the Neuro-Ophthalmology Service at Mass Eye and Ear in Boston.
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