Ozempic and blindness: Is there a hyperlink?

There may be quite a lot of curiosity round Semaglutide, which is bought beneath totally different manufacturers, together with Ozempic. It might assist to regulate blood sugar ranges and help weight reduction. However the drugs, permitted by the US Meals and Drug Administration for sort 2 diabetes administration, may additionally trigger nausea and diarrhea. These frequent unintended effects might disappear as soon as your physique will get used to the weekly jabs. Nonetheless, there are additionally research which have linked this drugs to imaginative and prescient loss. Is there any connection between Ozempic and blindness? Let’s discover out.

What’s Ozempic?

Ozempic (semaglutide) is an injectable remedy categorised as a glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonist. “GLP-1 is an incretin hormone that performs a significant function in glucose regulation, particularly after consuming,” says endocrinologist Dr Dheeraj Kapoor. Administered as soon as weekly by way of subcutaneous injection, the drugs is primarily used together with a nutritious diet and train to regulate blood sugar ranges in adults with sort 2 diabetes. It is usually used for weight reduction.

What are the advantages of Ozempic?

Listed below are a number of the advantages of Ozempic:

• Lowers blood sugar ranges: It stimulates the pancreas to launch extra insulin when blood sugar ranges go up. “This helps to decrease blood sugar with no important threat of hypoglycemia or low blood sugar,” says the skilled. It reduces the discharge of glucagon hormone from the pancreas, which additional contributes to reducing blood sugar ranges.
• Slows gastric emptying: It slows the speed at which the meals you eat leaves your abdomen and reaches your intestines. “This results in a sense of fullness, reduces post-meal glucose spikes, and may help with weight reduction,” says the skilled.

What’s the connection between Ozempic and blindness?

Ozempic and blindness don’t have a direct hyperlink. Nonetheless, there are a couple of potential oblique hyperlinks:

1. Diabetic retinopathy

For individuals with pre-existing diabetic retinopathy, a complication of diabetes that impacts the blood vessels within the retina, fast enhancements in blood sugar management, corresponding to these seen with drugs like Ozempic, can generally be related to a brief worsening of retinopathy. “It is a recognized phenomenon in diabetes administration, not unique to Ozempic. This momentary worsening may doubtlessly impression imaginative and prescient if not monitored,” says Dr Kapoor. In a two-year trial involving individuals with diabetes and excessive cardiovascular threat, extra circumstances of diabetic retinopathy problems had been seen in individuals handled with Ozempic (3%) in comparison with placebo (1.8%), as per the US Meals and Drug Administration.

2. Non-arteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy (NAION)

There are research which have steered a potential affiliation between Ozempic and blindness. A hyperlink between semaglutide and nonarteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy (NAION) was discovered throughout a 2024 examine printed within the journal JAMA Ophthalmology. “It’s a situation involving sudden imaginative and prescient loss on account of an absence of blood circulate to the optic nerve,” says Dr Kapoor. A brand new assessment, printed in JAMA Ophthalmology in January 2025, confirmed that 9 individuals taking semaglutide and tirzepatide both skilled NAION, papillitis or paracentral acute center maculopathy. These situations result in imaginative and prescient loss.

Ozempic and blindness: Does imaginative and prescient get higher after stopping the drugs?

If imaginative and prescient modifications had been associated to a brief worsening of diabetic retinopathy on account of fast glycemic enchancment, imaginative and prescient would possibly stabilise. “It might enhance over time, no matter whether or not Ozempic is sustained, as the general glucose management improves,” says the skilled. If the imaginative and prescient modifications had been linked to different components, corresponding to NAION, the end result would depend upon the character and extent of the optic nerve harm. “In NAION or different eye situations, imaginative and prescient loss is commonly everlasting, though some individuals might expertise partial restoration,” says the skilled. So, the reversibility of imaginative and prescient modifications after stopping Ozempic relies upon fully on the underlying reason for the imaginative and prescient difficulty.

Ozempic and blindness: What are the opposite unintended effects?

The hyperlink between Ozempic and blindness is probably not apparent, however there are unintended effects that you may count on. The unintended effects of Ozempic primarily contain the gastrointestinal system:

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• Nausea
• Diarrhea
• Vomiting
• Constipation
• Stomach ache

Much less frequent, however doubtlessly extra critical unintended effects of Ozempic can embrace:

• Pancreatitis
• Gallbladder issues like gallstones
• Hypoglycemia, particularly if used with different anti-diabetes drugs like insulin or sulfonylureas.
• Acute kidney damage, which is commonly associated to dehydration from extreme gastrointestinal unintended effects.

Ozempic and blindness: Learn how to scale back the chance of imaginative and prescient loss and different unintended effects?

Stopping potential eye points and different unintended effects whereas on Ozempic includes:

• Common eye exams, which is particularly essential for individuals with diabetes. These will assist to watch for any indicators of diabetic retinopathy. It’s essential report any modifications in your imaginative and prescient to your physician promptly.
• Whereas Ozempic will be very efficient, your physician will intention for a gradual and secure enchancment in blood sugar ranges, which could assist scale back the chance of momentary worsening of retinopathy. That’s why the dose of Ozempic begins with 0.25 mg as soon as every week then 4 weeks later, it will get elevated to 0.5 mg as soon as every week.
• Staying hydrated will assist to minimise the chance of kidney points related to extreme gastrointestinal unintended effects.

It is very important observe that Ozempic and blindness are usually not normally related, and imaginative and prescient loss is just not a generally reported or an anticipated aspect impact of this weight reduction drug. Nonetheless, in case you are on Ozempic, and expertise any modifications in imaginative and prescient, instantly seek the advice of a health care provider.