Ozempic has become one of the world’s best-known medicines. It is widely prescribed to treat type 2 diabetes and is also used by many people to help with weight loss.
The medicine helps lower blood sugar, reduces appetite, and can lower the risk of some heart problems in people with diabetes. Because of these benefits, millions of people around the world now take Ozempic or similar medicines.
However, two new large studies from the University of Southern Denmark have found that Ozempic may also carry a rare but serious risk.
The researchers discovered that people taking the medicine may be about twice as likely to develop an uncommon eye condition called non-arteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy, or NAION. The research was published on the preprint server medRxiv, which means it has not yet completed peer review.
NAION happens when blood flow to the optic nerve suddenly decreases. The optic nerve carries visual information from the eye to the brain. If it becomes damaged, people may experience sudden vision loss, usually in one eye. Some patients recover part of their vision, but others have permanent sight loss. Although the condition is serious, it is still uncommon.
Earlier in 2026, a smaller study from the United States suggested there might be a link between Ozempic and NAION. The new Danish research is much larger and provides stronger evidence that the association deserves careful attention.
The first study was led by Professor Jakob Grauslund. His team examined health records from 424,152 adults in Denmark who had type 2 diabetes. More than 106,000 of them were using Ozempic. After comparing patients taking Ozempic with those using other diabetes medicines, the researchers found that Ozempic users were about twice as likely to develop NAION.
The study also showed that the number of NAION cases diagnosed in Denmark has increased since Ozempic became available in 2018. Before the medicine was introduced, doctors usually recorded about 60 to 70 new cases each year. More recently, the number has risen to around 150 cases annually.
The second study was led by Professor Anton Pottegård. His team compared people who had recently started Ozempic with similar patients taking other diabetes medicines in Denmark and Norway. Using a different research method, they reached the same conclusion.
People using Ozempic had roughly double the risk of developing NAION. The increased risk was seen across people with type 2 diabetes and was not limited to those with more severe disease.
Even though the risk sounds alarming, experts stress that patients should not stop taking Ozempic without medical advice. NAION remains a rare condition, and most people taking the medicine will never develop it.
For many patients, Ozempic provides important health benefits by lowering blood sugar, helping with weight control, and reducing the risk of diabetes complications.
Doctors recommend that patients discuss any concerns with their healthcare provider rather than stopping treatment on their own. Together, patients and doctors can consider the benefits and possible risks of different treatment options.
However, if someone develops NAION in one eye while taking Ozempic, specialists recommend stopping the medicine immediately to reduce the chance of damage to the other eye.
Researchers are now trying to understand why Ozempic might affect the optic nerve. They also want to identify which patients may be at the highest risk.
Danish and international health authorities have been informed of the findings and are reviewing the evidence. The results may eventually influence future diabetes treatment guidelines if they are confirmed by additional research.
Because these studies are currently available on medRxiv, the findings should be viewed as preliminary until they have been independently reviewed by other scientists. More research will help determine whether the link is real and how large the risk truly is.
For now, people using Ozempic should continue taking their medicine as prescribed, pay attention to any sudden changes in vision, and seek immediate medical care if vision loss occurs. Early medical attention is always important when eyesight changes suddenly.
If you care about eye health, please read studies about how vitamin B may help fight vision loss, and MIND diet may reduce risk of vision loss disease.
For more information about eye disease, please see recent studies about how to protect your eyes from glaucoma, and results showing this eye surgery may reduce dementia risk.
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