--- title: "Evidence Is Growing That Ozempic Can Cause Blindness" description: "As drugs like Ozempic and Mounjaro continue to skyrocket in usage, doctors are encountering more cases linking them to blindness." date: "2025-02-14" modified: "2025-02-14" authors: - name: "Noor Al-Sibai" job_title: "Senior Staff Writer" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/nooralsibai" url: "https://futurism.com/neoscope/evidence-ozempic-blindness" categories: - "Health & Medicine" - "Studies" tags: - "blindness" - "glp-1" - "mounjaro" - "ozempic" --- # Evidence Is Growing That Ozempic Can Cause Blindness ![As drugs like Ozempic and Mounjaro continue to skyrocket in usage, doctors are encountering more cases linking them to blindness.]() *\Image: Jaap Arriens / NurPhoto via Getty / Futurism\* As drugs like Ozempic and Mounjaro continue to [skyrocket in usage](), doctors are encountering more cases linking them to severe eye conditions. Last year, Harvard scientists [found a troubling link]() between semaglutide, the active ingredient in Ozempic, and a [blindness-causing condition]() known as nonarteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy (NAION), which is essentially a [stroke of the eye](). In a paper [published in *JAMA Opthalmology*](), those researchers suggested that people who take semaglutide are between four and seven times as likely to develop NAION as those who don't take it. Now, per a new paper [published in that same journal](), University of Utah researchers detailed the stories of several people who took either semaglutide or tirzepatide (the active ingredient in Eli Lilly's Mounjaro and Zepbound) who developed eye conditions NAION and a few others that can cause [partial]() or [temporary blindness](). Led by Utah ophthalmologist Bradley Katz, the researchers looked into the cases of nine patients — seven who'd developed NAION***,*** one case of an [optic nerve inflammation disorder]() called papillitis, and another of paracentral acute middle maculopathy (PAMM), which causes a [literal blind spot]() in your vision — who reported the issues soon after they began taking the drugs. As the researchers note, all but one of the study subjects had a history of type 2 diabetes, and rapid drops in blood sugar like those that occur when taking drugs like Ozempic or Mounjaro — which belong to a class of medications glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) inhibitors that make those who take them feel fuller faster — [has been linked to papillitis](), and could be similar for NAION. As far as why, one possibility is that the drugs could have caused hypoglycemia, or low blood sugar — and while lowering blood sugar is the goal of diabetes medication, some patients may be overshooting. In other words, the theory is that the drugs themselves aren't making people develop blindness-causing illnesses, but the rapid drop in blood sugar may well be. In an [interview with *Medical News Today*](), Katz explained how this mechanism may work. "These drugs are very effective at reducing blood sugar," he said, "and when one rapidly reduces blood sugar it can cause swelling in the optic nerve." The ophthalmological researcher suggested that this sudden drop in blood sugar "can also temporarily worsen diabetic eye changes." Instead of cautioning people against taking or continuing to use the drugs, however, Katz and his colleagues are calling on doctors to lobby the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for better post-prescription tracking of the drugs and their potential adverse effects. "We as well as other concerned physicians are also asking \[the\] FDA to mandate a post-marketing survey of these drugs to find the true incidence of eye complications associated with them," he told *MNT*. With a reported 13 percent of Americans [admitting to trying out]() these popular weight loss drugs, there should indeed be more understanding about their potential — and sometimes [very serious]() — [side effects](). "Because so many people are using these medications," Katz concluded, "it’s critical to monitor any ill effects on the eye or other parts of the body." **More on GLP-1s:** [*Doctors Have One Weird Trick to Tell When Their Colleagues Are On Ozempic*]() ## Author At Futurism, I've often been drawn to unpacking the narratives that underlie technological, scientific and medical progress, with a special interest in areas of conflict and ambiguity that end up setting agendas and steering the fates of both elites and the hoi polloi. I'm a committed generalist, but I often find myself returning to work involving NASA and the private space sector, the effects of AI on media and society, and the mechanics of the pharmaceutical industry, with a specific focus on the spread of GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy. Prior to Futurism, I worked for publications ranging from Media Matters and Truthdig to Raw Story and Bustle. I'm also the author of "Myspace Scene Queens," a 2024 title in Instar Books' acclaimed "Remember the Internet" series. My work at Futurism has been cited by outlets including the New Yorker, Slate, Nieman Lab, the Verge, the MIT Technology Review, the Sunday Times, and the Daily Beast. I grew up in North Carolina, attended the University of North Carolina at Asheville, and now live in Brooklyn, New York. In my free time, I'm an avid reader and music fan; you can probably find me at a local poetry reading, concert, underground rave, or DJ set. I'm the proud parent of an ineffable orange cat named Mee-Mow. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()