02/13/2026
An estimated 6-10% of Americans currently take GLP-1 medications, or glucagon like peptide, which is a gut hormone that helps the body control blood sugar by controlling insulin, slowing digestion, and sending signals of being full to the brain. These medications are commonly prescribed for diabetes and weight loss. Are you aware of the potential ocular side effects? The most common are blurry vision, headaches, dizziness and dry eyes, but rare ocular health side effects have also been reported. If you have diabetic retinopathy or macular degeneration, there is a risk of worsening of these conditions when you have rapid blood sugar and fluid loss. Following your eye health closely with a doctor is important to make sure any progression to eye disease gets immediate treatment to recover vision. There is also a rare but serious potential side effect of permanent vision loss from stroke inside the eye, called NAION. This condition has no treatment, so talking to your eye doctor to see if you are at a high risk of NAION before starting any GLP-1 medication is an important baseline discussion. While only 1 in 10,000 people suffer an NAION in their lifetime, taking a GLP-1 medication doubles that risk.
Raleigh | Eye Doctor