Eye

Could Semaglutide Affect Your Vision? What a New Study Found

Jasmine C

— 2 min read
Could Semaglutide Affect Your Vision? What a New Study Found
Glasses, Eyesight

What did the research discover?

A group of researchers looked at data from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to find out if people taking a medicine called semaglutide (brand names: Ozempic, Rybelsus, Wegovy) had more vision problems than people taking other diabetes or weight-loss drugs.

They studied 302,706 reports of patients using different medications for type 2 diabetes or obesity. Out of these, 11,558 reports involved semaglutide. Among those, 417 cases involved vision issues like blurry vision or a problem called ischemic optic neuropathy, which can lead to vision loss.

They compared semaglutide to other medications, including:

  • Other GLP-1 receptor agonists (same class of drug)
  • DPP-4 inhibitors
  • SGLT2 inhibitors
  • Metformin
  • Phentermine
  • Orlistat
  • Topiramate

Their findings showed that semaglutide had a higher number of reports of vision problems than most of the other drugs. For example:

  • Compared to DPP-4 inhibitors: semaglutide was linked to 2.5 times more vision problem reports.
  • Compared to SGLT2 inhibitors: about 3.9 times more.
  • Compared to metformin: about 2.2 times more.
  • The only exception was topiramate, which had more vision complaints than semaglutide.

They also checked cases related specifically to retinopathy (a type of eye disease often caused by diabetes) and found similar patterns: semaglutide users had more reports than those using other medications.

The researchers used a method called reporting odds ratio (rOR) to compare how often vision problems were reported for each drug.

How can I apply this research?

This study suggests that semaglutide may be linked to a higher risk of vision problems than other common medications for type 2 diabetes and obesity. However, it’s important to know that this is based on a review of reported cases—not a cause-and-effect study. That means:

  • The study shows an association, not proof that semaglutide directly causes vision issues.
  • People who already have diabetes may already be at higher risk for eye problems.
  • This was a real-world study using FDA safety data, not a controlled clinical trial.

So what does this mean for you?

If you are taking or considering semaglutide (Ozempic, Rybelsus, or Wegovy), it’s important to:

  • Talk to your doctor about any vision changes you notice.
  • Have regular eye exams, especially if you have diabetes.
  • Stay informed as researchers continue to study this possible side effect.

The study highlights the need for doctors and patients to watch for vision problems and calls for more detailed research to better understand the risks.

Source:

Massy M, Marti S, Hammer H, Hoepner R. Increased vision impairment reports linked to semaglutide: analysis of FDA adverse event data. BMC medicine. 2025 Apr 7;23(1):203.

Read more