Semaglutide Doubles Risk for Nonarteritic Anterior Ischemic Optic Neuropathy

TUESDAY, Jan. 14, 2025 (HealthDay News) — Use of once-weekly semaglutide more than doubles the risk for nonarteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy (NAION) in individuals with type 2 diabetes, according to a study published online Dec. 18 in the International Journal of Retina and Vitreous.

Jakob Grauslund, D.M.Sci., Ph.D., M.D., from Odense University Hospital in Denmark, and colleagues prospectively evaluated the use of semaglutide and risk for NAION in people with type 2 diabetes. The analysis included 424,152 individuals (2018 to 2024) exposed (106,454 individuals) or not exposed (317,698 individuals) to once-weekly semaglutide.

The researchers found that semaglutide exposure was significantly associated with a higher incidence rate (0.228 versus 0.093 per 1,000 person-years) and independently predicted a higher risk for upcoming NAION (hazard ratio, 2.19), even when accounting for multiple other factors. Of the 67 persons exposed to semaglutide who developed NAION, there was a median time from first prescription to event of 22.2 months (interquartile range, 10.2 to 37.8 months).

“During five years of observation of all persons with type 2 diabetes in Denmark, use of once-weekly semaglutide independently more than doubled the risk of NAION,” the authors write. “Given the irreversible nature of NAION, it is important to acknowledge this risk, and upcoming studies should aim to identify high-risk subgroups.”

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