Ozempic could make you go BLIND warn experts as worrying study finds patients on the drug are more likely to suffer irreversible optic nerve damage READ MORE: Drug chiefs hit out at 'excessive cosmetic use' of jabs like Ozempic By Emily Stearn, Health Reporter For Mailonline and Kate Pickles Health Editor For The Daily Mail Published: 11:00 EDT, 3 July 2024 | Updated: 11:06 EDT, 3 July 2024 e-mail 41 shares 112 View comments Slimmers were today warned that weight loss jabs could trigger a worrying eye condition causing blindness. Semaglutide, available as Ozempic and Wegovy, has been hailed as a monumental breakthrough in the war on obesity. But according to US experts, people with diabetes prescribed semaglutide were four times more likely to be diagnosed with non-arteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy (NAION).
And overweight or obese people taking the drugs were seven times more likely to develop the condition, known as an 'eye stroke', than those on other weight-loss medications. Researchers labelled the findings 'significant but tentative' and urged medics to warn patients of the risk especially if they suffer 'other known optic nerve problems like glaucoma'. Ozempic is available on the NHS as a treatment for managing blood glucose levels in people with type 2 diabetes.
Last May, it was also approved for weight loss under the brand name Wegovy and launched in September on the NHS for weight loss for patients who are overweight or obese with weight-related health pro.
