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“[It’s] important to consider gradually tapering patients onto these drugs. Slowly lowering blood sugar, rather than doing so rapidly, may help reduce the incidence of these complications.” — Bradley Katz, MD, PhD, ophthalmologist at the John A. Moran Eye Center and professor in the Department of Ophthalmology & Visual Sciences, University of Utah
New research has found that GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic may potentially lead to serious vision problems, including blindness.
A recent paper published by Harvard researchers in JAMA Ophthalmology suggested that people who take semaglutide are more than four times as likely to develop a blindness-causing condition called nonarteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy (NAION), which is, essentially, a stroke in the eye.
NAION explainer
Reduced blood flow to the optic nerve head is thought to be the primary cause of NAION, and there are currently no effective treatments for the condition. NAION is rare, affecting 10 out of 100,000 people annually. While it can lead to blindness in one eye, the vision loss occurs without pain, making it particularly concerning. The condition is difficult to diagnose and remains somewhat mysterious.
New research published by University of Utah investigators further illuminates this alarming issue, sharing cases of individuals who took either semaglutide or tirzepatide and developed eye conditions like NAION and other ailments that led to partial or temporary blindness.
Read more: rb.gy/kusoxx
Source: MD Linx