A new study published in JAMA Ophthalmology suggests that patients taking semaglutides may be at a higher risk for vision loss.
In its new guidance, AAO and NANOS emphasize that while the new study is intriguing, more research is needed to draw a real link between semaglutides and non-arteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy, according to a July 8 press release.
Additionally, guidance emphasizes that semaglutides have been approved for safe use since 2017 and this is the first study linking them to vision loss.
People who have diabetes are already at risk of NAION, and all of the patients included in the study were seen at the same large eye hospital, which treats most of the region’s NAION patients, making it hard to determine if this association is true of all people taking semaglutide.
As a result, AAO and NANOS do not recommend that patients stop taking semaglutide. The organizations do recommend patients stop taking the drug and visiting a doctor immediately if they face sudden vision loss.
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