A new study delves into sudden vision changes and these popular medications.

• Research links weight loss medications like Ozempic and Zepbound to certain serious eye conditions.
• This association is being called “Ozempic blindness.”
• Experts are not entirely clear why this may happen, but they have a theory.

For all the buzz surrounding weight loss medications like semaglutide and tirzepatide, these drugs aren’t perfect. They come with a risk of side effects like nausea and diarrhea, along with uncommon side effects like gastroparesis (stomach paralysis) and decreased kidney function. However, new research suggests a link between weight loss drugs and blindness (and other eye issues), leading some to refer to the issue as “Ozempic blindness.”

A small study published in JAMA Ophthalmology analyzed data from nine patients who developed severe vision issues, including sudden blindness, while taking semaglutide (Wegovy, Ozempic) or tirzepatide (Mounjaro, Zepbound). Of those participants, seven developed a condition called non-arteritic ischemic anterior optic neuropathy (NAOIN, which is sudden vision loss due to lack of blood flow to the optic nerve, and is usually permanent), one developed bilateral papillitis (swelling of the optic nerve that leads to vision impairment and even loss which may be permanent) and another paracentral acute middle maculopathy (an issue with the retina that causes vision loss).

Meet the experts: Mir Ali, M.D., a bariatric surgeon and medical director of MemorialCare Surgical Weight Loss Center at Orange Coast Medical Center in Fountain Valley, CA; Christoph Buettner, M.D., Ph.D., chief of the division of endocrinology at Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School; Howard Krauss, M.D., a surgical neuro-ophthalmologist and director of Pacific Neuroscience Institute’s Eye, Ear & Skull Base Center at Providence Saint John’s Health Center in Santa Monica, CA.

Some, according to the study, also experienced vision loss in one eye, swelling of both optic discs, and gradual vision loss.

Despite the scary findings, the researchers stressed that it’s hard to conclude that medications like Ozempic and Zepbound actually caused vision issues.

Still, this is a lot to absorb, especially if you or a loved one is considering using one of these medications. Here’s what doctors want you to know about taking a weight loss medication and vision health.

Is There A Link Between Weight Loss Drugs And Blindness?

First, let’s cover a few basics about these medications. Semaglutide is in a class of medications called GLP-1 receptor agonists. These medications mimic a protein in your body called glucagon-like peptide 1 (or GLP-1), explains Mir Ali, M.D., a bariatric surgeon and medical director of MemorialCare Surgical Weight Loss Center at Orange Coast Medical Center in Fountain Valley, CA. Tirzepatide is in a class of medications called glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide (GIP) receptors. Both medications help with blood sugar management, slow down the movement of food through the gut, and decrease appetite, Dr. Ali explains. While tirzepatide is similar to semaglutide, it also targets an additional receptor (GIP), he says.

It’s important to point out that this isn’t the first study to link weight loss medications to vision issues.

Research published in July in JAMA Ophthalmology tied semaglutide to NAION. While cases of NAION were low overall, the researchers found that patients with diabetes who used semaglutide were more than four times more likely to develop NAION than people who didn’t take the drug. Patients who were overweight or had obesity were seven times more likely to develop the condition.

But the latest study expands on potential vision complications and suggests tirzepatide could also be linked to this health issue.

It seems to boil down to treating hyperglycemia, i.e. high blood sugar in patients. “In some cases, it is hypothesized that rapid correction of hyperglycemia induced by these drugs, rather than a toxic effect of the drugs, could be associated with the ophthalmic complications reported,” the study’s authors wrote. Meaning, quickly fixing blood sugar issues that patient may have had could have a big impact on their vision health.

This isn’t a new thing, says Christoph Buettner, M.D., Ph.D., chief of the division of endocrinology at Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School. He points out that “rapid correction” of high blood pressure has been previously linked with retinopathy (the leading cause of preventable blindness) and papillitis (inflammation of the optic nerve that can lead to blindness).

“Both drugs are very potent drugs that allow you to lose weight and normalize hyperglycemia very rapidly in some patients,” Dr. Buettner says. But Dr. Buettner notes that improving diabetes and overweight or obesity is more likely to improve a person’s eye health—not make it worse or cause blindness.

While there are a lot of uncertainties about the links between these medications and blindness, this is “worthy of investigation,” says Howard Krauss, M.D., a surgical neuro-ophthalmologist and director of Pacific Neuroscience Institute’s Eye, Ear & Skull Base Center at Providence Saint John’s Health Center in Santa Monica, CA.

How Common Is Vision Loss With GLP-1s?

There are no hard and fast numbers on how common it is for someone to develop blindness on semaglutide or tirzepatide. But doctors stress that this is not a common side effect at all. These complications are “so rare,” says Mir Ali, M.D., a bariatric surgeon and medical director of MemorialCare Surgical Weight Loss Center at Orange Coast Medical Center in Fountain Valley, CA. As a result, “it is difficult to delineate the exact mechanism,” he says.

Dr. Buettner also points out that he’s never seen this in a patient. “These are very rare complications,” he says. It’s also not clear if having obesity and diabetes makes it more likely that someone may develop one of these complications, he says. Basically, there are a lot of unknowns with this.

What To Do If You Have Vision Changes On These Medications

If you start to notice changes in your vision while taking semaglutide or tirzepatide, Dr. Buettner recommends that you stop taking the medication and contact your doctor immediately.

If you’re considering going on one of these medications, Dr. Buettner also recommends talking to your doctor about the pace of your weight loss and blood sugar management. Quickly changing your blood sugar levels may raise the risk of eye issues, which is why it’s so important to be in contact with your doctor about your progress.

Your doctor can help control the pace of your weight loss and blood sugar management if things start changing too quickly, Dr. Buettner says. “There are ways to do that by reducing the dose,” he explains.

Again, these serious complications are not common on these medications. But if you start to notice a change in your vision while taking semaglutide or tirzepatide, contact your doctor ASAP.

Important Notice: This article was originally published at www.prevention.com by Korin Miller where all credits are due.

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