A growing body of research is connecting GLP-1 receptor agonists, the class of drugs behind brand names like Ozempic, Wegovy, Mounjaro, and Zepbound, to a serious eye condition that can cause permanent vision loss. The condition has a long medical name: non-arteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy, or NAION. Eye specialists sometimes describe it as a stroke of the optic nerve. And once the damage is done, there is currently no treatment that can undo it.

This article is not written to frighten you or push you off your medication without talking to your physician. Millions of people are benefiting from these drugs every day. But the question health experts are now asking out loud is this: when a rare side effect starts appearing in large numbers of people, does it stay rare?

What Are GLP-1 Drugs and Why Are So Many People Taking Them?

GLP-1 stands for glucagon-like peptide-1. These drugs mimic a hormone your gut naturally releases after eating. They slow digestion, reduce hunger, and help control blood sugar. Originally developed for type 2 diabetes, they became household names when studies showed they could also produce significant weight loss.

The popularity of these drugs has been extraordinary. Roughly 15 million people in the United States are currently taking GLP-1 medications, and that number keeps climbing. Many of these users do not have diabetes at all. They are taking the drug specifically to lose weight, often without a full picture of what the long-term risks might look like.

The Eye Condition No One Was Expecting

NAION occurs when blood flow to the front portion of the optic nerve is cut off or severely reduced. The optic nerve is the cable that carries visual signals from your eye to your brain. When that nerve loses its blood supply, even briefly, it can suffer damage that leads to permanent partial or total vision loss in that eye. Health authorities, including the World Health Organization, confirm that this vision loss is usually permanent.

The condition is not brand new. It was already known to affect adults over 50, people with high blood pressure, and people with diabetes. What caught researchers off guard was a cluster of cases appearing in people who had recently started taking semaglutide-based medications.

The alarm was first raised in 2024, when physicians at Massachusetts Eye and Ear, a Harvard Medical School-affiliated hospital, published findings in the journal JAMA Ophthalmology. Their retrospective study of more than 16,000 neuro-ophthalmic patients found that people with type 2 diabetes or obesity who were taking semaglutide had a significantly higher rate of NAION compared to those taking other medications. Among diabetes patients in the study, semaglutide users showed a hazard ratio of 4.28, meaning the risk of developing NAION was more than four times higher than in comparable patients on other glucose-lowering drugs.

A separate Danish and Norwegian study that same year, drawing on data from more than 424,000 patients with type 2 diabetes, found that once-weekly semaglutide use more than doubled the five-year risk of NAION compared to patients taking other diabetes medications.

A Small Percentage Times Millions of People

Here is where the math matters. NAION is classified as “very rare,” meaning it may affect up to 1 in 10,000 people. The European Medicines Agency, which regulates drugs across 27 countries, formally added this classification in June 2025, recommending that product information for Ozempic, Wegovy, and Rybelsus be updated to include NAION as a side effect. The World Health Organization issued its own safety alert shortly after.

But consider what “very rare” actually means when tens of millions of people are taking a drug. If even 1 in 10,000 semaglutide users develops NAION, and 15 million Americans are using GLP-1 medications, that translates to roughly 1,500 potential cases in the United States alone. And that figure is based on the most conservative estimate.

The American Optometric Association’s clinical guidance report put it bluntly: “There is a low risk of serious ocular side effects. But a low risk of a big number is a big risk.”

The University at Buffalo researchers who published a related case series in JAMA Ophthalmology noted something else that raised eyebrows. NAION almost always strikes one eye at a time. But some patients on GLP-1 drugs were presenting with the condition in both eyes simultaneously, which is considered atypical and potentially more alarming.

The Research Is Still Sorting Itself Out

To be fair, the picture is not entirely clear-cut. A large February 2025 retrospective study that pooled data from 37 million diabetes patients across 14 international databases found that semaglutide users showed about 14 to 15 NAION cases per 100,000 patients annually, and when compared to other GLP-1 drugs, the risk was not significantly different. This suggests the vision risk may apply to the entire class of GLP-1 medications, not just semaglutide specifically.

A separate large cohort study published in JAMA Network Open, covering 185,000 individuals on GLP-1 drugs, found a slightly higher risk of developing diabetic retinopathy, but a similar rate of NAION compared to those on other treatments. And two studies presented at the American Academy of Ophthalmology’s 2025 annual meeting offered conflicting signals: one tied GLP-1 drugs to increased NAION risk and diabetic retinopathy risk, while another suggested the drugs might actually protect against dry age-related macular degeneration.

Scientists are careful to note that none of the current evidence proves that GLP-1 drugs cause NAION. What exists is a statistically significant association that has now been observed across multiple studies, multiple countries, and multiple drug databases. That is enough to prompt regulatory bodies to act and researchers to dig deeper.

Who May Be at Highest Risk?

Physicians are paying special attention to patients who already have underlying vascular risk factors. High blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, a history of cardiovascular disease, and a structural eye condition called a small optic disc are all considered risk factors for NAION independent of GLP-1 use. When these pre-existing vulnerabilities are combined with a medication that may affect blood flow to the optic nerve, the potential for harm may be higher.

The symptoms to watch for are specific and sudden: vision loss in one eye that seems to come on without warning, often noticed upon waking. There may be a dark or blurry area in part of your field of vision, or a sense that something has been “wiped away” in one corner of sight. There is typically no pain, which is part of why people sometimes wait before seeking care. Any of these symptoms should be treated as a medical emergency.

Where Things Stand Right Now

As of June 2026, the European Medicines Agency has updated its labeling requirements for semaglutide to include NAION. The World Health Organization has issued a formal safety alert. And a multidistrict litigation involving GLP-1 vision loss lawsuits was consolidated in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania in December 2025. Legal analysts report that over 1,800 lawsuits had been filed by mid-2025, with more expected as scientific review continues.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has not yet added a NAION warning to American drug labels for semaglutide. Novo Nordisk, which manufactures Ozempic and Wegovy, has not yet updated its U.S. prescribing information to reflect the risk. Public health advocates and some legal experts have called for a black box warning, the FDA’s highest-level alert.

The American Academy of Ophthalmology and the North American Neuro-Ophthalmology Society have both weighed in, stating that they do not recommend that all semaglutide users stop their medication immediately if they develop NAION, since the benefits of the drug may still outweigh individual risks, depending on the patient’s overall health. But both organizations agree that sudden vision changes of any kind require immediate medical evaluation.

What This Means for You

If you are currently taking a GLP-1 medication for weight loss or diabetes management, here are the most important things to keep in mind.

1. Do not stop your medication without talking to your physician. For many people, the health benefits of these drugs are substantial, and an abrupt stop can create its own risks.
2. Tell your physician if you have existing eye problems, high blood pressure, or a history of cardiovascular disease. These factors may influence how closely you should be monitored.
3. Take sudden vision changes seriously. If you wake up one morning and something looks wrong with one eye, that is not something to wait out. Call your physician or go to an emergency room. Time may matter.
4. Ask questions. Ask your physician whether NAION has been discussed in your care plan. Ask whether your specific risk factors warrant more frequent eye exams. You have the right to that conversation

The Larger Question

GLP-1 medications have been genuinely life-changing for many people. They have helped reduce the burden of obesity, lower cardiovascular risk, and control blood sugar in ways that were difficult to achieve before. None of that is in dispute.

But when a drug reaches the scale of tens of millions of users, even rare side effects become a public health question. A risk that affects fewer than 1 in 10,000 people in a clinical trial still produces thousands of real individuals with real and permanent vision loss when multiplied across the population taking these drugs. Those individuals deserve answers, updated labels, and the chance to make informed decisions before the lights go out.

Research is ongoing. Regulatory conversations are happening. In the meantime, staying informed, staying in communication with your physician, and taking any sudden change in vision seriously are the most important steps you can take.

The post The Weight-Loss Drug Nobody Warned You About: When the Scale Goes Down, and Your Sight Goes With It appeared first on Medika Life.

This May, the 2024 Annual Meeting was held in Seattle, and after taking some time to absorb the whirlwind of activity and insights, three elements stand out:

1. ARVO is back!

The pandemic changed the face of many conferences and meetings, and ARVO was no exception. This year, the annual meeting returned to pre-pandemic levels of attendance and participation, and the energy and enthusiasm were palpable. The number of abstract presentations and scientific research presentations rebounded, and I was very proud of the large showing by my colleagues and fellow vision scientists from Doheny Eye Institute and UCLA; Doheny contributed 67 papers and posters among a total of 155 from UCLA.

In addition to the many new learning opportunities, there were a number of opportunities for forging collaborations and networking. Growing connections within the scientific community is essential to expanding our thinking and considering new methods of achieving outcomes to benefit all.

2. Tech innovations are driving progress.

Artificial intelligence has been a hot topic in almost every industry in recent years. In vision science, we’re seeing many developments in AI that have the potential to enhance assessments and diagnoses, as well as to quantify disease features precisely, something previously thought not possible.

Additionally, incredible gains are being made in genetic science and gene-based therapies. The recent groundbreaking FDA approval for a gene-editing approach to addressing sickle cell anemia, which can affect the eye, opens the door to other patient trials and new gene-based therapeutics.

In parallel with these advances in genetic and molecular therapies, significant progress is happening in high-resolution diagnostic technologies. For example, my colleagues at Doheny and UCLA demonstrated, for the first time, visualization of metabolic processes in individual retinal cells in the living eye.

Exciting innovation in the tech space inspires the ARVO 2025 Annual Meeting, which has the theme of “i3: Imagining Innovation and Intelligence in Vision Science.”

3. We need to communicate.

The closing keynote speech focused on a topic that some don’t readily associate with the scientific community: communication. The vision science community is producing incredible work and results, and while we are adept at sharing technical information with vision science colleagues, we cannot necessarily take the same approach with other audiences.

Communication needs to be tailored to reach various stakeholder groups, from the general public to policymakers to government and philanthropic organizations that hold the keys to funding. Advocacy is one of the pillars of ARVO’s five-year strategic plan, developed in 2023. We can only grow advocacy for our cause if we can clearly communicate its impact and importance.

Start planning for 2025.

ARVO 2025 Annual Meeting will be held in Salt Lake City, Utah, May 4-8, and as the newly appointed president of ARVO, I am already deep into the planning stages. If the 2024 meeting is anything to go by, our 2025 gathering will offer compelling content and unparalleled opportunities for collaboration and engagement. I invite all members of the vision science community to join me!

The post Key Takeaways from the ARVO 2024 Annual Meeting – the Vision Science Community Gathers appeared first on Medika Life.

In summary, those with AMD have a higher risk for COVID-19 infection and severe disease. This increased risk has a genetic basis.

What is macular degeneration?

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is an eye condition that can worsen over time. AMD is the leading cause of severe, permanent vision loss in older individuals.

The macula wears down in AMD. The retina is the nerve tissue — at the back of the eye — that senses light.

AMD occurs when the small central portion of your retina, the macula, wears down. The retina is the nerve tissue that senses light and is at the back of your eye.

Below are fundus photographs of the right eye (top image) and left eye (bottom image), seen from the front so that the left in each image is to the person’s right. The gaze is on the camera, so the macula is in the center of the image in each picture. The optic disc is towards the nose.

Because AMD occurs with increasing age, it is often called age-related macular degeneration. While AMD doesn’t usually cause blindness, it might cause severe visual loss.

Another macular degeneration form (Stargardt disease or juvenile macular degeneration) affects children and young adults.

COVID-19 and macular degeneration

Scientists have discovered a genetic link between COVID-19 infection and age-related macular degeneration.

COVID-19 and AMD are associated with variations in the PDGFB gene. This gene has a role in new blood vessel formation (and is linked to abnormal blood vessel changes that occur with age-related macular degeneration).

Researchers analyzed genetic data from over 16,000 individuals with age-related macular degeneration, more than 50,000 people with COVID, and control groups. Here is Boston Univerity researcher Lindsay Farrer, Ph.D., chief of biomedical genetics, speaking in a news release:

“Our analysis lends credence to previously reported clinical studies that found those with AMD have a higher risk for COVID-19 infection and severe disease, and that this increased risk may have a genetic basis.”

Prior research showed that those with AMD have a 1.25 times increased risk of respiratory failure or death due to COVID, which is higher than other well-known risk factors such as type 2 diabetes (21 percent) or obesity (13 percent), according to the current researchers.

Reducing your AMD risk

I want to end with something actionable. How can you reduce your risk of getting age-related macular degeneration? The US Centers for Disease Control offers some tips:

• Tell your eye doctor about your family history.
• Get regular eye exams.
• Don’t smoke.
• Have a good cholesterol level

The Age-Related Disease Studies found that getting certain vitamins and minerals every day may slow the progression of the disease from the early or middle stages to the later stages. Specifically, combinations of the following vitamins can reduce the risk of late AMD by one quarter (25 percent):

• Vitamin C
• Vitamin E
• Beta-carotene
• Zinc
• Copper

Green, leafy vegetables contain large amounts of many of these vitamins. For those with AMD progression to later stages, therapeutic interventions may include laser treatment or injections.

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Age-related macular degeneration (AMD), or macular degeneration, is a common eye disorder. AMD results from the macula’s deterioration, a small area in the middle of the retina at the back of the eye.

Historically, clinical trials showed that supplements could slow the progression of age-related macular degeneration. Now comes a new study confirming this observation, albeit with a newer supplementation formulation.

We begin with macular degeneration basics before turning to positive new results.

What is age-related macular degeneration?

Macular degeneration is a common eye disorder. Deterioration of the macula, a small spot in the back of the eye, is the cause.

Macular degeneration can result in central vision loss; you may have trouble seeing what is in front of you as you look forward. At the end of this short video, you will see the visual field of someone with age-related macular degeneration:

As you can see, macular degeneration doesn’t affect your peripheral vision.

Macular degeneration is common: Approximately 11 million Americans have the disease. Age-related macular degeneration is the leading cause of visual loss.

There are two types of macular degeneration:

• Dry macular degeneration (affects 85 to 90 percent of those with macular degeneration). Occurs because of small yellow deposits (drusen) that develop under the macula.
• Wet macular degeneration results from abnormal blood vessels developing under the retina and macula.

Here are some risk factors for age-related macular degeneration:

• A diet rich in saturated fat (for example, meat, cheese, and butter) raises risk. On the other hand, fruits, vegetables, and nuts can reduce risk.
• Being overweight may be a risk factor
• Cigarettes
• Age over 50 years
• A family history of age-related macular degeneration.
• High blood pressure
• Heart disease
• High blood pressure or high cholesterol
• Race. Whites have the highest risk, followed by Chinese and Hispanic people and African-Americans with the least risk. Whites are also more likely to go blind from age-related macular degeneration than African-Americans.
• Ultraviolet ray exposure (for example, from sunlight)

Age-related macular degeneration treatment

Unfortunately, treatment for age-related macular degeneration cannot restore vision. On the other hand, intervention may slow vision loss.

Dry AMD

There is no good treatment for dry age-related macular degeneration. However, management tools include choosing larger print books (larger screen font sizes), using a magnifying device, or optimizing lighting.

Wet AMD

There are management strategies that may slow the rate of progression of age-related macular degeneration. I won’t go into too much detail here, but refer you to this Medicalnewstoday reference:Age-related macular degeneration (AMD): Symptoms and treatmentMacular degeneration affects the retina, a layer at the back of the eyeball. This layer contains light-sensitive cells…www.medicalnewstoday.com.

Macular degeneration risk reduction

While prevention is not assured, you may lower your macular degeneration risk by eating well, getting physical activity, not smoking, and getting regular eye tasks.

You may also lower your risk of age-related macular degeneration by wearing sunglasses that block ultraviolet (UV) rays to protect your eyes.

Some research points to increasing omega3 polyunsaturated fatty acids, especially docosahexaenoic acid and eicosapentaenoic acid, possibly dropping the risk of an early subtype of age-related macular degeneration.

Let’s look at new evidence suggesting that dietary supplements can lower the risk of macular degeneration progression.

Supplements and age-related macular degeneration

According to the Age-Related Eye Disease Studies (AREDS and AREDS2), supplements can slow the progression of age-related macular degeneration.

The AREDS2 formulation provided an additional one-quarter (26 percent) drop in the risk of age-related macular degeneration while not increasing lung cancer risk.

The AREDS1 supplement included beta-carotene. After scientists discovered an association between beta-carotene and lung cancer risk, the AREDS2 formulation substituted the antioxidants lutein and zeaxanthin for beta-carotene.

The original AREDS study showed that a dietary supplement formulation (500 mg vitamin C, 400 international units vitamin E, 2 mg copper, 80 mg zinc, and 15 mg beta-carotene) slowed AMD progression from moderate to late disease.

Alas, two concurrent studies also revealed that those who smoked and took beta-carotene had a significantly higher risk of lung cancer than expected.

For the AREDS2 clinical trial, researchers compared the beta-carotene formulation to one with the antioxidants lutein (10 milligrams) and zeaxanthin (2 milligrams) instead. Only those who never smoked (or had quit) could use the beta-carotene formulation.

Here are the results of the five-year AREDS2 study:

The AREDS2 formulation provided an additional one-quarter (26 percent) drop in the risk of age-related macular degeneration while not increasing lung cancer risk.

After the five-year study ended, researchers offered all participants the AREDS2 formulation.

Symptoms

Let’s end with some symptoms of macular degeneration. Dry macular degeneration symptoms usually develop gradually and without pain. Symptoms may include:

• Visual distortions (for example, straight lines appearing bent)
• Diminished central vision in one or both eyes
• The need for brighter light when reading or doing close-up work
• Increased challenges adapting to low light, for example, when entering a dimly lit restaurant
• Increased blurriness of printed words
• Decreased brightness or intensity of colors
• Challenges recognizing faces
• A well-defined blurry spot or a blind spot in your visual field

Let’s end with some risk-reduction tips from the good folks at WebMD:

• Check your vision daily by looking at an Amsler grid — a pattern of straight lines like a checkerboard. It can help you spot changes in your vision.
• Don’t smoke, eat a balanced diet with leafy green vegetables, and protect your eyes with sunglasses that block harmful ultraviolet (UV) rays.
• Supplements with antioxidants plus zinc may lower your risk of age-related macular degeneration.
• If you’re over 65, your vision exams should include testing for age-related macular degeneration.

Healthline adds two more:

• Maintain a healthy-for-you weight
• Exercise consistently, as much as you can

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