Strokes of the optic nerve, blockages of blood vessels, starving the optic nerve of oxygen in whole or in part, are a rare cause of blindness, affecting 2 in 100,000 people. It turns out that Ozempic and Wegovy increase this risk to an unknown degree for unknown reasons. Researchers are, of course, on these questions.
Penn Medicine
Non-arteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy (NAION)
Non-arteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy (NAION) is a potentially debilitating condition that occurs from a lack of sufficient blood flow to the optic nerve. If you have sudden vision loss, contact your doctor immediately.
The exact cause of NAION is not fully understood. NAION causes damage to the optic nerve. The optic nerve is the cable that connects the brain to the eye and carries millions of nerve fibers and blood vessels.
Although sometimes there can be total blockage of a blood vessel that feeds the optic nerve, it is believed to be more commonly caused by inadequate flow to one half of the nerve. If the optic nerve's nutrient and oxygen supply is cut off, nerve tissue is damaged, resulting in vision loss.
Mass General Brigham
Popular Prescription Weight Loss Drugs Linked to Uncommon Blinding Condition
NAION is relatively rare, occurring up to 10 out of 100,000 people in the general population. NAION is the second-leading cause of optic nerve blindness (second only to glaucoma) and it is the most common cause of sudden optic nerve blindness. NAION is thought to be caused by reduced blood flow to the optic nerve head, with the consequence of permanent visual loss in one eye. According to Rizzo, the visual loss caused by NAION is painless and may progresses over many days before stabilizing, and there is relatively little potential for improvement. There are currently no effective treatments for NAION.
Ozempic, Wegovy linked to rare condition that can cause blindness, study says
Patients who took the frequently prescribed diabetes and weight-loss drugs Ozempic and Wegovy faced a greater risk of a stroke of the optic nerve, which can lead to blindness, according to a new study by Mass General Brigham researchers.
The study says people prescribed semaglutide, sold under the brands Ozempic for diabetes or Wegovy for weight loss, were more likely to be diagnosed with a rare condition called NAION than those with diabetes or obesity who did not take the medications. Researchers cautioned they have no evidence that semaglutide causes this potentially blinding condition, merely that the study found patients taking the diabetes or weight-loss medication faced a greater risk of developing it.
Down To Earth
Summary: A new study reveals that patients prescribed semaglutide (Ozempic or Wegovy) for diabetes or weight loss have a higher risk of developing NAION, a potentially blinding eye condition.
Diabetic patients on semaglutide were over four times more likely to be diagnosed with NAION, while overweight patients were over seven times more likely. The findings suggest the need for careful discussions between patients and doctors about this risk. NAION remains a rare but serious condition with no effective treatments.
In Other News
Can Using Cannabis Decrease Diabetes Risk?
Cannabis users may have a "healthier inflammatory cytokine profile, better insulin sensitivity, and higher levels of physical activity than nonusers," all of which can be linked to a potentially lower risk for diabetes, ongoing research suggested.
In the findings from the ongoing SONIC trial, Angela Bryan, PhD, professor and codirector of CUChange at the University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado, and colleagues hypothesized that "those inflammatory profiles would improve over the course of 4 weeks, particularly for those using a CBD [cannabidiol] as opposed to a THC [tetrahydrocannabinol] product."
CNET
My Doctor Misdiagnosed My Diabetes -- and I'm Not Alone. What You Need to Know
Commentary: Three in five people diagnosed with type 1 diabetes are over 20 years old, and it's often missed. Here's what to look out for.
For the longest time, type 1 diabetes was known as a childhood disease. Even until recently, it was still called "juvenile diabetes." I'm here to tell you that just because you're an adult doesn't mean you've escaped the wrath of this illness.
I know this because it happened to me. At the age of 30, I was misdiagnosed with type 2 diabetes for over six months.
Healthline
A new generic of the GLP-1 drug Victoza, which is similar to popular medications like Ozempic, Wegovy, Mounjaro, and Zepbound, is now available in the United States.
A two-pack of injection pens is estimated to cost around $470, while a three-pack will cost around $700. A spokesperson for Teva told The Guardian that “WAC pricing does not account for the price discounts offered to customers and is not reflective of our final net price.”
Whenever the price is not the price, antitrust regulators need to get involved.
Another Quack in Trouble