Ozempic makes you twice as likely to develop this debilitating condition what that really means for your risk
A growing number of Ozempic and Mounjaro users have shared stark warnings after going blind while using GLP-1 drugs.Now a new study is bringing into focus the relationship between diabetic GLP-1 users and the elevated risk of age-related eye disease.But despite seemingly alarming numbers, a doctor explained to The Post why she doesn’t actually think it should steer people away from the jab.Published in JAMA Ophthalmology, the study was drawn from the health records of nearly 140,000 patients.Researchers found that after one year, GLP-1 users were more than twice as likely to develop neovascular age-related macular degeneration than those who were not taking the drugs.Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a disease that gradually damages the macula, the part of your eye’s retina responsible for sharp, central vision.
As it worsens, people find it increasingly difficult to see things directly in front of them, while their peripheral vision remains largely unaffected.In older people, AMD is a leading cause of irreversible blindness.The study found the risk percentage was 0.2% in GLP-1 users and 0.1% in nonusers.
Nearly 20 million adults in the US are living with AMD, which comes in two types. The slower-moving dry AMD makes up about 80% of cases.It occurs when the macula gets thinner with age, often due to the buildup of yellow protein deposits known as drusen, according to the American Academy of Ophthalmology.Wet AMD, also known as neovascular AMD (nAMD), while less common, is far more aggressive, causing rapid and severe vision loss.
In this form, the macula’s function is compromised by the growth and leakage of abnormal blood vessels beneath the retina. The condition is typically treated with frequent injections to restore or stabilize vision. “What researchers in this latest study were looking for specifically was whether or not these were people who converted from the dry form of macular degeneration, which is where you don’t have abnormal ...