• As The Popularity of LPG-1 Medications used for Weight Loss continues to increase, more research is being done to further examine potential Side Effects of these medications.
  • One Such Side Effect is positive Eye Issues and Vision Loss, for which there is Currently a Great Deal of Conflicting Information.
  • SUB STUDIES LINK GLP-1 USE TO AN INCREASED RISK FOR OCULAR DESIGNS SUCH AS NARARETERITIC ANSOFICO ISCHEMIC OPTIC NEUROPathy (Naion), Diabetic Retinopathy, Papillitis, and Optic Nerve Disorders.
  • A New Study Reports That Using Semaglutide is not associated with an increased Risk for Eye Disorders Or Diabetic Retinopathy.
  • While This New Study Found A Connection Between Semaglutide Use and Naion, Say That The Current Refriers Evidence is instituting to establish defining Connection Between The Two.

As the popularity of Glucagon-Like peptide-1 recipient agonists (LPG-1) USED FOR THE TREATMENT OF DIABETES AND IN SUB CASES FOR WEIGHT LOSS TO INCREASE, More Research Is Being Done To Further Examine Potential SIDE Effects of these medications.

One Such Side Effect is positive Eye Issues and Vision Loss, for which there is Currently a Great Deal of Conflicting Information.

For Example, a Study Published in July 2024 Found Participants Taking Semaglutide – The Active Ingredient Found In Ozempic and Wegovy – Were Potentially at A Higher Risk of Developing Nonarteritic Previous Ischemic Optic Neuropathy (Naion).

Research Published in February 2025 Linked Use of Both Semaglutide and Tirzepatide – The Active Ingredient in Zepbound and Mounjaro – To Not Only An Increased Risk for Naion, But also Papillitis and Paracentral Acute Middle Maculopathy.

More Recently, Two Studies Published Earlier This Month Showed similar Findings. One Study Discovered That Thue Taking Semaglutide Or Tirzepatide May Be at A Higher Risk of Developing Naion Than Previously reported, as well as an increased Risk of Developing Other Optic Nerve Disorders.

And While The Second Study Did not find a correlation Between GLP-1 use and an increased Risk for Naion, It Did Report to Possible HeightTened Chance for Diabetic Retinopathy.

Now an Additionional Study, Also Published this month in the journal Jama Ophthalmology, Reports that semaglutide is not associated with an increased Risk for Eye Disorders Or Diabetic Retinopathy.

And While The Study Did Find A Connection Between Semaglutide Use and Naion, Say That The Current Refriers Evidence is instituting to establish definitively Connection Between The Two.

WHY IS there So much conflict information on glp-1s and eye issues?

For Those Currently Using or Consido Using Glp-1 Medications, It Can Be Confusing and frustrating to have multiple Studies With Dipfering-and Subtimes Conflicting-Findings Around a Potential Risk to Eye Health and Vision.

“We’ve sen a coupling of studies now that are coming out, specially scholary of how regularly tohele medications are being used now,” Benjamin Bert, MD, Board-Certified Ophthalmologist at memorialcare orange coast medical center in Fountain Valley, INVOLVED IN ANY OFSE STUDIES – TOLED Medical News Today.

“And as Expressed, When We’re Talking about Rare Diseases, Specially Things Like Naion, We do See Sub Variation in The Results That Have Been Coming Out,” Added Bert.

“Most of the Research That’s Been Published, Including One of these Two Recent Studies, Does Continue To Support The Idea That there is an increased Risk of Naion Occurring in Patients That Are Taking The Glp-1 Medications,” I have continued.

“It really just Tells me that it’s important, again, to go over all the risks and benefits with the patients of before different medications, and just let them know, hey, this is submissing new The Incaence, ”Bert Told Us.

“We are seeing so many patients using these drugs (that) we will see other complications during patient use that subject In La Jolla, Ca, Who Was Not Involved in the Research, Explained To MNT. “AT This Time Early Research in General Shows The Plus Side of these Medications outweighs Sub potential Side Effects.”

Semaglutide Not Associated with Diabetic Retinopathy Or Eye Disorders

In This Most Recent StudyRefracchers drove to Systematic Review of 78 Clinical Trials Involging Semaglutide Use and Ocular Issues – Infectuding Naion, Diabetic Retinopathy, and Eye Disorders – Encompassing More than 73,000 Study Participants.

“The Risk of Diabetic Retinopathy Came With The Results of the Sustain 6 Trial, The First That Combable The Effect of Semaglutide in Cardiovascular Outcomes in Subjects with Type 2 Diabetes,” Fernando Gerchman, MD, PHD, Professor of Medicine in The Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism at Porto Alegre in Brazil and Senior Author of this Study, Told MNT.

“Observational Data Demonstrate to Possible Association Between Semaglutide and Naion,” Gerchman Continued. “This was replicated for others, but not in all studies published that looks at this. We had the unique Opportunity to Meta-Analyze with Data Data Derced From Clinical Trials. Our Results ConfirmedSe Findings. However, There is undergo imprecision in Our Analysis and Our Findings Need to be replicated. ”

UPON ANALYSIS, FOUND THAT SEMAGLUTIDE USE WAS NOT ASSOCIATED WITH AN INCREASED RISK FOR DIABETIC RETINOPATHY OR EYE DISORDERS. And Although They Did Find A correlation Between Semaglutide Use and Naion, Scientists Believes The Evidence Currently Available Is Not Enough To Establish A Definitive Conclusion and More Studies Are Needed.

“BeSe Findings Reassure (Those) Who prescribes Semaglutide about the safety of doing that in diabetes and obesity,” Gerchman Said. “The Risk of Naion Needs to Be Taken into Account and May Help to Decide About A More Conservative Approach in The Definition of Beginning Semaglutide For Thue Subjects Without A Clear Clear Indication for that.”

Do i need to warry about my eyes When Taking Ozempic?

WHEN LOOKING at the results of these studies, Bert Said It’s Important to Note That When Looking at the Increases of Percentages, It Demonstrates That It is Still Very, Vray Rare for A Condition Like Naion To Occur.

“(This Study) reported In the Population that it was advoc For the patients to take the medication. But Again, 0.02 to 0.04 IS Such A Small Amount The Overall Risk is Still Vray Low. ”

Geffen Commented that it is Hard to Tell a Patient not to take LP-1 Medications Unless They Are Already at High Risk for Naion.

“I Feel The Benefits for Overall Health Make It A Risk for The Average Person To Take,” I have continued. “We Need Better Studies Developed for All The Potential Side Effects of LPG-1 Medications, Not Just Eye Related.

For Those Considers Starting Glp-1 Medications, Bert Advised Talking to Their Physician and Endocrinologist, and Make Sure to have an annual Eye Exam.

“It was beneficial to have Baseline Exam Before you start the medication,” I explained. “And The If you are high risk, of course, have another exam done shortly after starting just to make suroe that you’re not one of the People that Fall Fall into One of Those Categories where there can be worseing of the ease.”

“I Think it’s Most Important ThatSe Types of Research Projects Continue To Be Done, and The Beval of Having Our Electronic Medical Record Systems, and We see in other countries that have Kind of Universal Systems, You Can DoSe Very Large Population-Based Statistics Statistics Analysis. I Think That Needs To Be Continued As We Progress into Using these Medications for Longer periods of Time, To Reure That We know the entirey of the risks and the benefits of them.

– Benjamin Bert, MD