Health
Ozempic Linked to Rare Cases of Vision Loss in Harvard Study
- Small study does not prove Ozempic causes optic neuropathy
- Mass Eye and Ear analysis must be confirmed by larger studies
Ozempic injection pens.
Photographer: Carsten Snejbjerg/BloombergThis article is for subscribers only.
Novo Nordisk A/S’ best-selling diabetes and weight-loss drugs Ozempic and Wegovy appear to be associated with a higher risk of a rare form of vision loss, according to an analysis by doctors at Massachusetts Eye and Ear, a Harvard-affiliated hospital.
Patients who took the drugs for weight loss were more than seven times more likely to be diagnosed with a stroke-like eye condition, known as NAION, than those taking other classes of drugs for obesity, according to the study of patient records. Those taking the drugs for diabetes were more than four times more likely to develop the rare ailment than people on other types of treatments, according to the results published Wednesday in the journal JAMA Ophthalmology.