People with type 2 diabetes who are using Ozempic are more likely to develop damage to the optic nerve of the eye compared to those not using the popular drug, research has shown.
Scientists from the University of Southern Denmark have found in two studies that people using Ozempic are at risk of severe and permanent vision loss.
Professor Jakob Grauslund and Professor Anton Pottegård both led separate studies using two different methods to examine the impact of Ozempic.
The research team led by Professor Jakob Grauslund found that Ozempic more than doubles the risk of NAION (non-arteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy) – a rare condition.
He said: “We have examined data from all 424,152 Danes with type 2 diabetes. We found that Ozempic more than doubles the risk of developing NAION.
“NAION is damage to the optic nerve of the eye caused by a sudden stop of blood flow to the optic nerve. It is a condition that can lead to severe and permanent loss of vision.”
He added: “In the study, we found that the risk is doubled. At the same time, in the clinic we have noticed that since Ozempic came on the market in 2018, the number of NAION cases in Denmark has continued.
“Whereas we used to see between 60 and 70 cases of NAION per year, we are now seeing up to 150.”
He continued: “In addition, we have noticed that the patients who come to hospital due to NAION are more often people with type 2 diabetes.”
Professor Pottegård noted: “In collaboration with the Norwegian Institute of Public Health, we have looked at all Danish and Norwegian people with diabetes who started treatment with Ozempic and compared them with people who started treatment with another medication.
“As was the case for Jakob Grauslund, we found that the risk of developing NAION doubles if you take Ozempic.”
Professor Grauslund stated: “Fortunately, according to our study, the number of people affected is lower than was found in the American study, but the number of cases of NAION among the people who are receiving Ozempic has still doubled.”
Professor Pottegård explained: “This is a serious but very rare side effect. Often, we only learn about this kind of thing after a new drug has been on the market for a few years, as is the case with Ozempic.
“It should be emphasised that it is neither more serious nor more common than the rare side effects of many other medicines that we continue to use. It is, so to speak, just a new piece of the puzzle of understanding how this drug works.”
