5 hours Ago By Simran Arora
Weight loss drugs can go a long way in treating obesity and even curbing diabetes. However, it could also cause an eye stroke in some cases. New Delhi: Weight loss drugs like Ozempic have been making headlines for a long time and those were largely for good reasons.
However, this time it is in the news for all the wrong reasons. Previously weight loss drugs have been questioned for causing saggy skin, but this time, it is over accusations of contributing to eye stroke, thereby causing blindness. In a study involving 37 million adults, it was found that taking a variety of weight loss drugs like Wegovy and Ozempic were at the highest risk of health problems.
Experts say that apart from mimicking hormones released by the body to diminishing hunger pangs, weight loss drugs do it all to curb cravings. Doctors have noted several people dealing with gut issues, bloating, constipation, diarrhoea, and acid reflux. But now, studies say that weight loss drugs can adversely affect the eyes too, and that too of non-arteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy (NAION), a condition known as eye stroke which can cause sudden loss of vision in one eye.
What is an eye stroke? Eye stroke is a condition characterised by a lack of blood flow to the optic nerve and it can deprive the eyes of oxygen, thereby damaging a part of the nerve. While there is no treatment for NAION, vision does not always improve. Experts at Johns Hopkins University noted an increase in the relative incidence of NAION from exposure to semaglutide compared with non-exposure.
Writing about it in the JAMA Ophthalmology journal, experts stressed that more research is needed in the area. This comes after a study published in JAMA Ophthalmology found that nine patients aged 37 to 77 suffered from eye complications after intake of Mounjaro. Some patients also noted differences in vision days or weeks after taking the injection.
One of the patients with type-2 diabetes also woke up with painful loss of vision in the left eye a day after taking the first dose of semaglutide. Click for more latest Medicine news . Also get top headlines and latest news from India and around the world at News9.
Simran Arora is a Chief Sub Editor for the health beat at News9. With 6 years of experience in the industry, she looks at news, features and every unique development in the health sector..
