Ozempic is part of a new generation of drugs for the treatment of diabetes. Its active ingredient is semaglutide, which is also found in similar medications such as Rybelsus (oral form of Ozempic) and Wegovy, used in the treatment of obesity, and various studies have demonstrated both its effectiveness and its benefits for other health conditions. .
However, it seems that not everything would be advantages and that it can also generate adverse effects in some cases, since two independent studies carried out by scientists at the University of Southern Denmark (SDU) have shown that patients with type 2 diabetes treated with Ozempic They are more at risk of damage to the optic nerve, which can lead to severe and permanent vision loss.
Jakob Grauslund, Professor of Ophthalmology, and Anton Pottegård, Professor of Pharmacology, used different methods to analyze all Danish users of Ozempic. Their results have confirmed a hypothesis raised by a smaller US study that this drug more than doubled the risk of developing NAION (non-arteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy), a condition that damages the optic nerve due to a sudden interruption of blood flow.
“We analyzed data from 424,152 people with type 2 diabetes in Denmark. The results show that the use of Ozempic more than doubles the risk of developing NAION. This condition, caused by an abrupt cessation of blood flow to the optic nerve, can lead to severe and permanent vision loss,” explained Jakob Grauslund, professor at the Department of Clinical Research at SDU and the Department of Ophthalmology at Odense University Hospital. in a note published by the SDU.
“Since the arrival of Ozempic on the market in 2018, we have seen an increase in NAION cases in Denmark. If before we observed between 60 and 70 cases a year, now we register up to 150. In addition, we have detected that the affected patients tend to be, more frequently, people with type 2 diabetes,” adds Grauslund.
A serious side effect of Ozempic, but extremely rare
Professor Anton Pottegård and his team carried out a more specific analysis comparing new users of Ozempic with patients who started treatment with another diabetes drug at the same stage of the disease. This approach was done in collaboration with the Norwegian Institute of Public Health and allowed for a more fair and accurate comparison in patients from Denmark and Norway. “When comparing patients who start treatment with Ozempic versus those who use another medication, we also found that the risk of NAION doubles,” said Pottegård, professor at the Department of Public Health.
“Since the arrival of Ozempic on the market in 2018, we have seen an increase in NAION cases in Denmark. If before we observed between 60 and 70 cases a year, now we register up to 150”
The results of the Danish and Norwegian studies confirm the increased risk, although to a lesser extent than the American study. According to Jakob Grauslund, the differences may be due to the fact that the US data focused on a small group of patients and has certain limitations that do not exist in the Scandinavian health registries.
Poorly controlled diabetes can cause other eye complications, less serious than NAION, but more common. However, researchers do not recommend stopping Ozempic treatment indiscriminately. “This is a serious side effect, but extremely rare. This type of information usually appears after several years of using a new medication, as is the case with Ozempic. Importantly, this risk is no more serious or more common than other rare adverse effects associated with medications that we continue to use,” says Anton Pottegård.
Professor Kurt Højlund, diabetes expert at the Steno Diabetes Center in Odense and co-author of one of the studies, adds: “It is essential to treat type 2 diabetes, but we must consider whether the slight increase in the risk of vision loss associated with Ozempic justifies opting for other medications that also protect against kidney and cardiovascular diseases. If a patient develops NAION in one eye, treatment with Ozempic should be discontinued.” The findings have been published in the MedRxiv repository and have been reported to Danish and international authorities, who will continue to evaluate the data to ensure patient safety.
