Ozempic causes vision loss

Doctors warn of vision loss risks associated with weight-loss drugs
The medical community is expressing concern over the side effects of popular weight-loss drugs, such as Ozempic, which may lead to blindness in patients. 

Researchers have reported nine new cases in the US in which people lost their vision after taking semaglutide or tirzepatide — the active ingredients in Ozempic and Mounjaro, respectively.

Shocking cases among patients
One case involves a woman who received a semaglutide injection for diabetes treatment. The following morning, she woke up to find that she had lost vision in her left eye. After a two-month break from the medication due to the vision loss, she resumed using the drug. However, two weeks later, she lost vision in her right eye as well.

Another case concerns a woman who had been taking semaglutide for a year. One morning, she woke up with a "painless shadow" in her left eye, and tests revealed damage to the blood vessels in her retina, resulting in total blindness.

A further patient, who had been taking tirzepatide for a year, experienced a haemorrhage in his left eye. Despite this, doctors continued to recommend the drug, failing to identify a direct link between the patient's condition and the use of the weight-loss medication.

Mechanism of drug impact on vision
Experts believe that the cause of such effects may be a rapid and sharp drop in blood sugar levels, which is characteristic of drugs like Ozempic. This reduction can damage blood vessels in the eyes, which in turn leads to vision problems.

Studies have shown that seven patients were diagnosed with non-arteritic anterior ischaemic optic neuropathy (NAION) — a condition in which blood supply to the optic nerve is disrupted. This nerve transmits information from the retina to the brain, and its damage can cause sudden vision loss in one or both eyes.