This serious side effect which can lead to blindness doubled in affected diabetic patients in Denmark and Norway.
Until now, we knew of no faults in them, or almost none. But semaglutide medications could actually cause a serious vision complication. Ozempic, a famous drug from the Danish laboratory Novo Nordisk prescribed to type 2 diabetics, could increase the risk of a rare optic nerve disease. This is what two Danish studies published recently suggest, as did an American study published last summer.
It all started from an observation made by the team of Professor Jakob Grauslung, specialist in diabetic retinopathy at Odense University Hospital (Denmark). “At the hospital, we noticed that since Ozempic came onto the market in 2018, the number of cases of non-arteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy (NAION) in Denmark has increased”he reports in a press release published by the university. “Where previously we were seeing 60 to 70 cases of NAION per year, we are now seeing up to 150, and more often patients with type 2 diabetes”specifies the doctor.
A risk multiplied by two
Professor Grauslung and his colleagues analyzed the medical records of 424,000 people with type 2 diabetes in Denmark. Among them, around a quarter were under Ozempic between 2019 and 2023. “We found that Ozempic more than doubles the risk of NAION”says the doctor. This disease occurs when a sudden cessation of blood supply to the optic nerve causes damage to the nerve in question. Unfortunately, this disease, for which there is no treatment, can cause very significant and permanent vision loss.
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The second study (in pre-publication), carried out in Denmark and Norway by Professor Anton Pottegård, reached the same conclusions with a different method. Their work consisted of identifying how many patients, among those who started treatment with Ozempic after 2018, developed optic neuropathy, compared to patients treated with another antidiabetic drug. Their conclusion: with Ozempic, the risk of NAION is almost tripled.
Scientists emphasize that these results are still only correlations. In other words, the direct implication of the drug on the occurrence of this ocular pathology remains to be proven. Furthermore, this disease is very rare and the risk of it occurring in a given patient will remain low, whatever happens. Thus, researchers estimate that, for every 10,000 people treated with Ozempic each year, between 1.5 and 2.5 additional cases should be observed.
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Evaluate the benefit-risk balance
Furthermore, Danish scientists point out that, when it is not treated, type 2 diabetes can also lead to ocular complications, less serious than NAION but much more frequent. As with any medication, the benefits and risks of Ozempic must be assessed on a case-by-case basis. The authors of the studies point out that it is not their responsibility to recommend that diabetic patients stop their treatment. “These are neither more serious nor more common side effects than the rare side effects of many other medications we use.”indicates Professor Anton Pottegård.
As for Wegovy – chemically identical to Ozempic -, prescribed to obese people for its weight-loss effects, it has not yet been possible to study. Indeed, its arrival on the market is still recent and researchers need more perspective (and therefore data). But, according to Anton Pottegård, there are also cases of NAION among Wegowy users. According to initial data, however, the risk would be significantly lower than with Ozempic: diabetic people would therefore be more exposed than obese people.
