Ozempic, Wegovy And Zepbound May Cause Vision Loss? Indian Doctors Say Patients Need Not Panic

Reports link GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy to rare sudden vision loss called NAION, but doctors urge patients not to stop treatment without advice. Link - https://www.ndtv.com/health/living-healthy/ozempic-wegovy-and-zepbound-may-cause-vision-loss-indian-doctors-say-patients-need-not-panic-12085385 GLP-1 medicines and vision loss.

Reports linking popular GLP-1 medicines with a rare form of sudden vision loss have raised concerns among people taking drugs such as Ozempic, Wegovy and Zepbound. However, Indian doctors say patients should not panic or stop these medicines on their own. The condition at the centre of the discussion is non-arteritic anterior ischaemic optic neuropathy (NAION), a rare eye disorder that occurs when the blood supply to the optic nerve is reduced. It can cause sudden, usually painless vision loss in one eye. Some studies have reported an association between semaglutide and NAION, but the evidence is still being evaluated, and an association does not necessarily mean that the medicine directly causes the condition. A large 2025 observational study, for example, found NAION in 0.04 per cent of patients prescribed semaglutide or tirzepatide compared with 0.02 per cent in a matched comparison group over two years. The European Medicines Agency (EMA), meanwhile, has classified NAION as a very rare side effect of semaglutide, meaning it may affect up to 1 in 10,000 people taking the medicine. So, what should patients taking these medicines actually know? Dr V Soma Srinivas, Consultant Endocrinologist, Gleneagles Hospital, Fortis Network Hospitals, Lakdikapool, Hyderabad, explains that NAION is rare and patients taking GLP-1 medicines should not stop treatment without medical advice. "The condition being discussed is NAION (non-arteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy), a rare condition caused by reduced blood flow to the optic nerve, which can result in sudden, usually painless vision loss in one eye. Some studies have reported an association between semaglutide, used in medicines such as Ozempic and Wegovy, and NAION. However, the risk estimates vary across studies, and a direct cause-and-effect relationship has not yet been established," he says. NAION itself remains uncommon, affecting approximately 10 in 100,000 people annually.

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