Rutgers researchers found three to four additional cases of a rare optic-nerve disorder per 10,000 patients over 18 months, while stressing that the study does not prove the medicines cause it.
Researchers at Rutgers University have found a small but measurable link between widely used diabetes and weight-loss medicines, including semaglutide and tirzepatide, and a rare eye disorder that can cause sudden vision loss. The study, published in the Annals of Internal Medicine, focused on ischemic optic neuropathy, a condition in which blood flow to the optic nerve is disrupted. Reuters and the university said the medicines studied include Ozempic, Wegovy, Mounjaro and Zepbound, all of which belong to a class known as GLP-1 receptor agonists.
The finding matters because semaglutide-based drugs have become some of the most widely prescribed treatments for type 2 diabetes and obesity. According to Rutgers, the researchers analysed records from a large US database covering adults with type 2 diabetes who had recently started medication. They concluded that people taking these drugs had a modestly higher likelihood of developing the eye condition than comparable patients who were not using them, although the overall number of cases remained very small.
The absolute risk was low. The study found roughly three to four extra cases per 10,000 patients over 18 months of treatment, and the condition was seen more often among men and people aged 50 to 65, according to the Rutgers summary. The researchers stressed that the results show an association rather than proof that the drugs directly cause the disorder, and said other factors such as existing vascular disease may also play a part.
The new research arrives after the UK Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency issued a safety update on 5 February 2026 warning of a very rare link between semaglutide medicines and non-arteritic anterior ischaemic optic neuropathy, or NAION. The agency said sudden loss of vision in people taking semaglutide should prompt urgent ophthalmological assessment. Taken together, the UK warning and the Rutgers findings point to the same practical message: the risk appears rare, but any abrupt change in sight should be treated as an emergency.
Disclaimer: This content is for informational purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical judgment, advice, diagnosis, or treatment.
