The unseen risk of Ozempic: NAION and vision damage

Noor Ul Ain Saleem; Mishaim Khan; Christian Tague; Aymar Akilimali

doi:10.1097/MS9.0000000000004149

The unseen risk of Ozempic: NAION and vision damage

Ann Med Surg (Lond). 2025 Oct 20;87(12):7898-7899. doi: 10.1097/MS9.0000000000004149. eCollection 2025 Dec.

Authors

Noor Ul Ain Saleem¹, Mishaim Khan¹, Christian Tague², Aymar Akilimali²

Affiliations

¹ FMH College of Medicine and Dentistry, Lahore, Pakistan.
² Department of Research, Medical Research Circle (MedReC), Goma, DR Congo.

Abstract

Ozempic (semaglutide) was first authorized to treat type 2 diabetes, but because of its appetite-suppressing properties, it has become popular off-label for weight loss. According to clinical investigations, GLP-1 significantly decreases blood sugar and helps people lose weight. Approximately 15 million persons in the United States are currently taking GLP-1 drugs. Off-label use is becoming more common, which raises worries about potential health hazards and significant side effects such as non-arteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy (NAION). According to a study, 6.7% of people who were overweight and 8.9% of those with diabetes who took semaglutide had NAION. The FDA issued a warning regarding counterfeit and compounded products while approving semaglutide for weight loss under the Wegovy^® brand. Unsupervised usage and problems with diabetes accessibility raise ethical questions.

Keywords: NAION; Ozempic; unseen risk; vision damage.

Publication types

Editorial