- semaglutide is a glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonist used to treat type 2 diabetes mellitus and for weight management and cardiovascular risk reduction
- semaglutide treatment may be very rarely associated with NAION, a condition which can cause vision loss, typically in one eye
- NAION typically causes sudden, painless vision loss in one eye that is often described as a blurring or cloudiness of vision.
- privately prescribed semaglutide may not appear on the patient’s medical history so if a patient presents with these symptoms, enquire about semaglutide use
- patients reporting a sudden loss of vision (including partial loss) should be urgently referred for specialist examination by an ophthalmologist
- discontinue semaglutide treatment if NAION is confirmed
- advise new patients, or existing patients during medication reviews, to urgently attend eye casualty or A&E if they experience a sudden loss of vision or rapidly worsening eyesight
- report suspected adverse drug reactions associated with semaglutide, including NAION, on a Yellow Card
- semaglutide treatment has, in extremely rare cases, been linked to a serious eye condition called NAION, which can affect your vision
- NAION usually affects one eye at a time
- if you notice a change in your eyesight, such as sudden blindness or your eyesight gets worse very quickly in one or both of your eyes during treatment with semaglutide, urgently attend eye casualty (if available in your area) or A&E
- you may be referred for an eye examination by an ophthalmologist
Non-arteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy (NAION) is a condition affecting the optic nerve head (ONH). It typically causes sudden, painless vision loss, usually in one eye that is often described as a blurring or cloudiness of vision.
NAION occurs due to reduced blood flow to the front portion of the optic nerve. It is termed ‘non-arteritic’ because this reduction in circulation occurs without inflammation of the blood vessels, distinguishing it from arteritic causes. Patients with type 2 diabetes are at increased risk of NAION as a result of their condition. Other risk factors for developing NAION include smoking, hypertension and hypercholesterolemia .
Estimates of the background incidence of NAION vary widely, with the incidence in patients with Type 2 diabetes varying from 11.4 per 100,000 person-years to 82 per 100,000 person-years and the incidence in the general population ranging from 7.73 to 11.35 per 100,000 person-years among individuals aged 40 years and older; 10.2 per 100,000 person-years among individuals aged 50 years and older; and 14.79 per 100,000 person-years among individuals aged 60 years and older.
Studies suggest semaglutide treatment may be very rarely associated with NAION; this means it may affect up to 1 in 10,000 people taking semaglutide.
Excerpt from the official page. The original is authoritative. Continue reading at UK Drug Safety Update ↗