GLP-1s not tied to higher risk for form of optic neuropathy that may cause blindness

Key Takeaways

• A large database study concludes that adults with type 2 diabetes or obesity using a GLP-1 drug do not have an increased risk for nonarteritic anterior optic neuropathy (NAION). 
• The findings are contrary to a previous report suggesting a link between GLP-1 drugs and NAION.

Adults using a GLP-1 receptor agonist do not have increased risk for nonarteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy (NAION), a potentially debilitating condition that occurs from a lack of sufficient blood flow to the optic nerve, the cable that connects the eye to the brain, according to data from a retrospective analysis published in Journal of Diabetes Science and Technology. As Healio previously reported, a study published in JAMA Ophthalmology found adults attending Massachusetts Eye and Ear who were prescribed semaglutide (Ozempic/Wegovy, Novo Nordisk) had a higher risk for developing NAION than those using a non-GLP-1 receptor agonist. However, David C. Klonoff, MD, FACP, FRCP (Edin), Fellow AIMBE, medical director of the Dorothy L. and James E. Frank Diabetes Research Institute of Mills-Peninsula Medical Center, told Healio that the study in question had several limitations, including the single-center design and the study population consisting only of people attending an ophthalmology clinic.

Klonoff and colleagues conducted a series of retrospective analyses to assess NAION risk with GLP-1 use in a large electronic health record and claims database. “When the data from our real-world database of 66 million regular people were analyzed … no significant increase in blindness due to NAION was noted in people using semaglutide or other drugs in that same GLP-1 receptor agonist family compared to people using other drugs for weight loss,” Klonoff told Healio. “It is possible that a future study will show something different, but if a proper test group is studied like we did, and if a large number of potential patients is studied, like we did, then I expect that additional studies of this topic will demonstrate similar results. Our study should provide some reassurance to people using a GLP-1 receptor agonist drug who are concerned about its potential side effects.” Providers and patients should be aware of possible adverse events with any medication, Klonoff said, but he believes that the findings provide strong evidence that GLP-1s do not increase NAION risk.

Edited by Miriam Kaplan, PhD

Source:

Michael Monostra, Healio Endocrine Today, August 2, 2024; see source article