CNN —People who take Ozempic or Wegovy may have a higher risk of developing a rare form of blindness, a new study suggests.
The condition is relatively rare — up to 10 out of 100,000 people in the general population may experience it — but the doctors noted three cases in one week, and each of those patients was taking semaglutide medications.
The risk was found to be greatest within the first year of receiving a prescription for semaglutide.
Semaglutide prescriptions have soared in the US, which could raise the number of people at risk for a potential side effect.
But the large number of people who are taking semaglutide should raise confidence that the absolute risk of developing NAION as a result is rare.
Persons:
”, Joseph Rizzo, ” Susan Mollan, Disha, Dr, Sanjay Gupta, Chanapa, Andrew Lee, ” Narang
Organizations:
CNN —, Mass, Novo Nordisk, CNN, Harvard Medical School, ”, University Hospitals Birmingham, Endeavor Health, CNN Health, US Food and Drug Administration, FDA, American Academy of Ophthalmology, Houston Methodist Hospital
Locations:
Chicago