SAN FRANCISCO—The American Academy of Ophthalmology and the North American Neuro-Ophthalmology Society have issued a response to a recent study that suggests patients taking semaglutide—the active ingredient in Ozempic and Wegovy—may be at higher risk of developing non-arteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy, or NAION, an eye condition that can cause blindness. The study, conducted by researchers at Harvard University, was published on July 3, 2024 in JAMA Ophthalmology. “Because diabetes is a known risk factor for NAION, patients with diabetes who qualify for GLP-1 treatment may be at higher risk for NAION to begin with," Andrew Lee, MD, clinical spokesperson for the American Academy of Ophthalmology and a neuro-ophthalmologist at Houston Methodist Hospital, told VM.

"The type of study conducted here is helpful in identifying potential links between GLP-1 treatment and NAION, but it’s not the type of study that can show the treatment caused NAION,” Dr. Lee said. He added, “Patients should talk with their primary care physician to determine if semaglutide is right for them. Although the retrospective study of GLP-1 and NAION is interesting, it is premature to conclude that the association is a causal association. More research is necessary to test the hypothesis. Until then, patients should be aware of this information and, in consultation with their care team, make a careful, informed choice based on their individual risk profile.”

The American Academy of Ophthalmology and the North American Neuro-Ophthalmology Society offered the following remarks and advice concerning the study:

  • This is not the type of study that can show the treatment caused NAION. But the careful analysis conducted by the Harvard neuro-ophthalmology research team did identify a potential link between semaglutide treatment and NAION. This finding should inspire more research that will help clarify if semaglutide does cause NAION.

  • Semaglutide was rigorously studied in several randomized, controlled trials worldwide. The U.S. FDA approved semaglutide for medical use in 2017. Many millions of people take this medicine throughout the world. This is the first study to report an association between semaglutide and NAION.

  • The subjects in this study were either overweight, obese or had type 2 diabetes. People who have diabetes are already at risk of NAION. Other risk factors for NAION include heart disease, history of heart attack, high blood pressure and sleep apnea.

  • All the patients included in the study were seen at the same large eye hospital, Massachusetts Eye and Ear located in Boston. This specialty hospital treats most of the region’s NAION patients, making it hard to determine if this association is true of all people taking semaglutide.

  • At this time, the two groups do not recommend that people stop taking semaglutide.

  • If patients are taking semaglutide and have a sudden loss of vision, they should stop taking the drug and see a doctor immediately.

  • Patients should talk with their primary care physician to determine if semaglutide is right for them.

  • Semaglutide was the only drug investigated in this study.
The two groups also noted that while the link in the study to NAION is new, the medical community has been aware of other vision changes with semaglutide for some time. They noted that previous studies have shown that semaglutide can cause blurred vision, worsening of diabetic retinopathy and macular complications. However, they said that this appears to be a temporary side effect that goes away after three or four months.