Ozempic Linked to Elevated Threat of Blindness

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

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

Ozempic Could Improve Your Threat of Blindness

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

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

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

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

Utilizing a mannequin to calculate the danger of creating NAION, the evaluation confirmed startling outcomes. Semaglutide can considerably improve your danger of NAION in comparison with different typical medicines for diabetes and weight problems. Based on the researchers, utilizing this drug will make you 4.28 occasions extra more likely to develop NAION for those who’re diabetic, and seven.64 occasions extra doubtless for those who’re obese/overweight.⁷

Word, nevertheless, that the examine was observational. “Future examine is required to evaluate causality,” the researchers stated, as they did not go into the specifics of how semaglutide can result in NAION. Nonetheless, the examine nonetheless has deserves — all NAION circumstances prescribed with semaglutide had been confirmed by skilled neuro-ophthalmologists. To their information, this examine is the primary to have 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 is not the primary occasion different researchers found a hyperlink between semaglutide and eye injury, particularly within the context of diabetic neuropathy.

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

What are the elements contributing to this complication? Based on a examine revealed within the World Journal of Diabetes, uncontrolled Kind 2 diabetes could also be a contributing issue when semaglutide is taken. Specifics embrace longer diabetes period, greater preliminary HbA1c within the blood and better insulin-treatment charge when the trials started.¹¹ Briefly, for those who’re already chronically diabetic, taking Ozempic can considerably improve your danger for retinopathy.

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

“Intestine dysbiosis, i.e., the persistent disequilibrium inside the many various microbial colonies, appears related to a number of inflammatory/metabolic illnesses and central nervous system (CNS) problems, 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 additionally with important intestinal dysbiosis, related adjustments within the bacterial inhabitants may set off the onset of retinopathy by way of 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 may be disastrous to your well being. A 2021 examine¹³ revealed within the Journal of Investigative Medication famous that that these medication can improve your danger of gastroparesis (abdomen paralysis), a situation that slows or stops the motion of meals out of your abdomen to the small gut.

The examine offered two sufferers. The primary is a 52-year-old lady with well-controlled diabetes. She visited the clinic of the researchers, hoping to resolve 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 precipitated delayed gastric emptying. Consequently, the drug was stopped for six weeks, and one other spherical of assessments confirmed that gastric emptying improved.¹⁵

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

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

Different revealed 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 much 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 hostile reactions:²²

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

Going again into the function of your intestine microbiome, boosting GLP-1 expression, as an alternative of inhibiting it, could also be higher for weight reduction. A method to do that is by colonizing your intestine with Akkermansia muciniphila, a sort of micro organism that naturally secretes a GLP-1-inducing protein. Researchers famous in a examine revealed 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 consider is attributable to inadequate power manufacturing, leading to oxygen leakage into the intestine.

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

“Akkermansia muciniphila is a mucosal symbiont thought of a intestine microbial marker in wholesome people, as its relative abundance is considerably diminished 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 illnesses, together with weight problems, Kind 2 diabetes, inflammatory bowel illnesses, and liver injury.”

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 potential to help weight reduction naturally.²⁵ Based on a examine revealed in Molecules,²⁶ its properties could assist with the administration of Kind 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 reveals an anti-inflammatory property by stalling the expression of cyclooxygenase 2 (COX-2) and prostaglandin E2.”

These findings have been verified in different revealed analysis as nicely. Based on one systematic evaluate, berberine could 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 acquire and weight problems, and addressing these could enhance insulin sensitivity, and thus, weight reduction.²⁸

One other examine²⁹ revealed in Frontiers in Mobile and An infection Microbiology discovered that berberine could assist “alleviate the pathological circumstances of metabolic problems, and the mechanism is said to the regulation of intestine microbiota.” Furthermore, berberine’s potential to control the intestine microbiota could increase its absorption.

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

I consider 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 medication that alter your physique’s important capabilities places you prone to debilitating well being points. And when you get off Ozempic/Wegovy, you are more likely to acquire again the burden you have misplaced. Based on a report,³⁰ most individuals who cease semaglutide injections regain two-thirds of misplaced weight — a phenomenon often known as “Ozempic rebound.”

For safer, more healthy weight reduction, it is necessary to handle one of many largest elements at the moment 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 embrace 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. In case you completely should exit to have a meal, take a look at the Templeton Record,³² which lists eating places recognized for his or her more healthy meals choices. They think about standards reminiscent of domestically sourced, sustainable elements and utilization of wholesome oils in cooking.

Lastly, I like to recommend minimizing your LA consumption to under 5 grams (and even higher, under 2 grams) per day, which has similarities to what our ancestors’ consumption earlier than the widespread look of persistent well being circumstances plaguing fashionable society right now. To study extra concerning the hazard of LA, learn my article “Linoleic Acid — The Most Harmful Ingredient in Your Weight loss plan.“