Ozempic Linked to Elevated Danger of Blindness

Ozempic and Wegovy, which include the glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor agonist (GLP-1RA) semaglutide, proceed to be blockbuster medicine for Danish pharmaceutical large Novo Nordisk. A Could 2024 report from Forbes famous that the corporate’s total gross sales doubled in comparison with the earlier yr, accumulating a whopping $1.35 billion.¹

Whereas these choices could appear handy, the fixation on weight reduction “magic bullets” could also be doing extra hurt than good. Revealed analysis² has proven that semaglutide can enhance your threat of great gastrointestinal antagonistic occasions. One current examine suggests these medicine can put your imaginative and prescient in danger, too.

Ozempic Could Improve Your Danger of Blindness

In a retrospective examine³ printed by JAMA Ophthalmology on July 3, 2024, researchers counsel there’s an affiliation between semaglutide consumption and non-arteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy (NAION) amongst Sort 2 diabetics and/or overweight and chubby members.

For context, NAION is a situation marked by lack of blood circulation to the optic nerve, which is the neural pathway connecting your eyes to your mind. As soon as blood circulation is disrupted, blindness (with out ache) can all of a sudden happen. In response to Brightman and Ladies’s Hospital, NAION causes “vital lack of imaginative and prescient in a single eye instantly waking up within the morning,” and that the loss stays steady as soon as it happens.⁴

Within the JAMA Ophthalmology examine, the authors chosen papers printed from December 1, 2017, to November 30, 2023 with a complete of 16,827 members. From this inhabitants, 710 have been identified with Sort 2 diabetes, and 194 of them have been prescribed semaglutide. Furthermore, 979 have been chubby or overweight, and from this quantity, 361 have been prescribed semaglutide.⁵

After accounting for covarying elements resembling gender, age, systemic hypertension and hyperlipidemia, researchers decided the cumulative frequency of NAION from the inhabitants. Outcomes confirmed that within the Sort 2 diabetic subset, 17 NAION occasions occurred. Within the chubby/overweight subset, 20 NAION occasions have been recorded.⁶

Utilizing a mannequin to calculate the danger of creating NAION, the evaluation confirmed startling outcomes. Semaglutide can considerably enhance your threat of NAION in comparison with different standard drugs for diabetes and weight problems. In response to the researchers, utilizing this drug will make you 4.28 instances extra prone to develop NAION if you happen to’re diabetic, and seven.64 instances extra possible if you happen to’re chubby/overweight.⁷

Notice, nonetheless, that the examine was observational. “Future examine is required to evaluate causality,” the researchers mentioned, as they did not go into the specifics of how semaglutide can result in NAION. Nonetheless, the examine nonetheless has deserves — all NAION instances prescribed with semaglutide have been confirmed by skilled neuro-ophthalmologists. To their data, this examine is the primary to take a look at the hyperlink between semaglutide and NAION.⁸

A Nearer Look Into the Hyperlink Between Semaglutide and Retinopathy

Whereas the JAMA Ophthalmology examine was the primary to analyze the hyperlink between semaglutide and NAION, it isn’t the primary occasion different researchers found a hyperlink between semaglutide and eye harm, particularly within the context of diabetic neuropathy.

For instance, a 2023 examine⁹ printed in Diabetologia famous that in the course of the trial section of semaglutide (again in 2016), the drug was noticed to extend the danger of retinopathy, particularly while you’re already diabetic. In one other examine,¹⁰ semaglutide was linked to considerably greater charges of retinopathy issues, resembling blindness and vitreous hemorrhage.

What are the elements contributing to this complication? In response to a examine printed within the World Journal of Diabetes, uncontrolled Sort 2 diabetes could also be a contributing issue when semaglutide is taken. Specifics embody longer diabetes period, greater preliminary HbA1c within the blood and better insulin-treatment charge when the trials started.¹¹ Briefly, if you happen to’re already chronically diabetic, taking Ozempic can considerably enhance your threat for retinopathy.

Curiously, the examine highlights the essential position of intestine well being with managing diabetes, and the way a wholesome intestine might assist decrease the danger of diabetic retinopathy:¹²

“Intestine dysbiosis, i.e., the continual disequilibrium inside the many alternative microbial colonies, appears related to a number of inflammatory/metabolic ailments and central nervous system (CNS) issues, together with retinopathy as an expression of the rising idea of the so-called ‘microbiota-retina axis.’

Certainly, as longstanding diabetes is related not solely with retinopathy but in addition with vital intestinal dysbiosis, related adjustments within the bacterial inhabitants would possibly set off the onset of retinopathy through their affect on the lipid content material of each retinal and CNS tissues …”

Inhibiting Your GLP-1 Receptor Could Have Different Facet Results

Taking GLP-1RAs will be disastrous to your well being. A 2021 examine¹³ printed within the Journal of Investigative Medication famous that that these medicine can enhance your threat of gastroparesis (abdomen paralysis), a situation that slows or stops the motion of meals out of your abdomen to the small gut.

The examine introduced two sufferers. The primary is a 52-year-old lady with well-controlled diabetes. She visited the clinic of the researchers, hoping to unravel her post-meal epigastric ache, which was marked by fullness, bloating and nausea. Upon tracing her medical historical past, they found that she had been taking semaglutide injections for a month earlier than her signs appeared.¹⁴

After testing, it was found that semaglutide triggered delayed gastric emptying. Consequently, the drug was stopped for six weeks, and one other spherical of checks confirmed that gastric emptying improved.¹⁵

The second affected person, a 57-year-old feminine, had an analogous case. She had Sort 2 diabetes for 16 years and had been taking weekly dulaglutide (one other GLP-1RA) injections for 15 months. Checks revealed that the drug triggered delayed gastric emptying, and stopping the injections normalized gastric motion.¹⁶

One other examine,¹⁷ printed in JAMA, famous that along with gastroparesis, GLP-1RAs may also enhance the danger of biliary illness, pancreatitis and bowel obstruction. EudraVigilance, the European Medication Company’s system for monitoring antagonistic reactions in medicine, additionally famous metabolic, dietary, urinary, cardiac and eye issues related to semaglutide.¹⁸

Different printed research have linked GLP-1RAs within the improvement of pancreatic carcinoma¹⁹ and acute kidney accidents.²⁰ Rodent research have additionally proven Wegovy to trigger thyroid C-cell tumors at doses just like these utilized in people and is a contraindication for sufferers with a historical past of medullary thyroid carcinoma.²¹ Furthermore, Wegovy’s product label warns customers of the next antagonistic reactions:²²

Increase Your GLP-1 Receptor As an alternative Via Polyphenol-Wealthy Meals

Going again into the position of your intestine microbiome, boosting GLP-1 expression, as a substitute of inhibiting it, could also be higher for weight reduction. A method to do that is by colonizing your intestine with Akkermansia muciniphila, a kind of micro organism that naturally secretes a GLP-1-inducing protein. Researchers famous in a examine printed within the journal Nature Microbiology:

“A. muciniphila will increase thermogenesis and glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) secretion in high-fat-diet (HFD)-induced C57BL/6J mice by induction of uncoupling protein 1 in brown adipose tissue and systemic GLP-1 secretion.”

The significance of Akkermansia in supporting intestine well being can’t be emphasised sufficient. In my interview with Georgi Dinkov, I clarify why Akkermansia is such a keystone species. Nonetheless, many individuals lack this particular microbe, which I imagine is brought on by inadequate vitality manufacturing, leading to oxygen leakage into the intestine.

Sure meals, significantly these wealthy in polyphenols, can nourish the expansion of Akkermansia in your intestine and assist total well being. Wholesome sources embody berries, broccoli, apples, ginger, onions, inexperienced tea and carrots.²³ A examine²⁴ printed within the Worldwide Journal of Molecular Sciences explains why Akkermansia is linked to raised well being:

“Akkermansia muciniphila is a mucosal symbiont thought-about a intestine microbial marker in wholesome people, as its relative abundance is considerably lowered in topics with intestine irritation and metabolic disturbances.

Dietary polyphenols can distinctly stimulate the relative abundance of A. muciniphila, contributing to the attenuation of a number of ailments, together with weight problems, Sort 2 diabetes, inflammatory bowel ailments, and liver harm.”

Nature Already Has Its Personal Ozempic

A naturally occurring compound present in goldenseal, barberry, Oregon grape and tree turmeric, berberine has been dubbed as “nature’s Ozempic” due to its capability to assist weight reduction naturally.²⁵ In response to a examine printed in Molecules,²⁶ its properties might assist with the administration of Sort 2 diabetes, weight problems, atherosclerosis, most cancers and cardiovascular issues. The researchers define how these advantages happen:

“It positively contributes to elevated ranges of fasting, postprandial blood glucose, and glycosylated hemoglobin, whereas reducing insulin resistance. It stimulates glycolysis, enhancing insulin secretion and inhibits gluconeogenesis and adipogenesis within the liver; by lowering insulin resistance, berberine additionally improves ovulation.

The antiobesity motion of berberine has been additionally well-documented. Berberine acts as an anti-sclerotic, decreasing the LDL and testosterone ranges. The alkaloid displays an anti-inflammatory property by stalling the expression of cyclooxygenase 2 (COX-2) and prostaglandin E2.”

These findings have been verified in different printed analysis as effectively. In response to one systematic overview, berberine might assist regulate blood sugar ranges and enhance insulin sensitivity.²⁷ This is a crucial issue as a result of insulin resistance is intently linked to weight achieve and weight problems, and addressing these might enhance insulin sensitivity, and thus, weight reduction.²⁸

One other examine²⁹ printed in Frontiers in Mobile and An infection Microbiology discovered that berberine might assist “alleviate the pathological situations of metabolic issues, and the mechanism is expounded to the regulation of intestine microbiota.” Furthermore, berberine’s capability to manage the intestine microbiota might enhance its absorption.

Decrease Linoleic Acid Consumption for Higher, Lengthy-Time period Outcomes

I imagine that the elusive magic bullet for weight reduction the world is chasing won’t exist in our lifetime. Because the proof has proven, counting on medicine that alter your physique’s important features places you liable to debilitating well being points. And when you get off Ozempic/Wegovy, you are prone to achieve again the load you’ve got misplaced. In response to a report,³⁰ most individuals who cease semaglutide injections regain two-thirds of misplaced weight — a phenomenon generally known as “Ozempic rebound.”

For safer, more healthy weight reduction, it is vital to deal with one of many largest elements at present driving the weight problems epidemic — extra consumption of linoleic acid (LA). It is an omega-6 fats present in seed oils extensively utilized in cooking. Outstanding examples embody soybean, cottonseed, sunflower, rapeseed (canola), corn and safflower oil.³¹

Along with avoiding any meals cooked or made with these oils, ditch the processed meals, quick meals and restaurant meals. If you happen to completely should exit to have a meal, try the Templeton Checklist,³² which lists eating places recognized for his or her more healthy meals choices. They contemplate standards resembling domestically sourced, sustainable elements and utilization of wholesome oils in cooking.

Lastly, I like to recommend minimizing your LA consumption to beneath 5 grams (and even higher, beneath 2 grams) per day, which is analogous to what our ancestors’ consumption earlier than the widespread look of continual well being situations plaguing fashionable society in the present day. To study extra in regards to the hazard of LA, learn my article “Linoleic Acid — The Most Damaging Ingredient in Your Weight loss program.“