Slimming injection may increase the risk of optic neuropathy! Doctors urge you not to panic yet. People with diabetes should not stop taking medicine without authorization.

Recently, the U.S. FDA warned about the risks of GLP-1-related drugs, causing public uneasiness. Doctors called on diabetic patients not to stop taking medications without permission and to discuss it with their doctor first. Schematic diagram, the characters in the picture have nothing to do with the content. (File photo)

[Reporter Lin Zhiyi/Taipei Report] The US FDA has warned that GLP-1 receptor agonist drugs may increase the risk of optic neuropathy, arousing public concern. Ou Hongyi, chairman of the Diabetes Health Education Association, said that at this stage, the US FDA does not require the discontinuation of such drugs. Medical personnel need to pay attention to such risks, but the public does not need to panic excessively, and diabetic patients should not stop taking drugs without authorization. They must discuss with their doctors and evaluate the risks and benefits of medication before making adjustments.

However, Ou Hongyi reminded that if people suddenly have difficulty seeing clearly in one eye or missing a piece of visual field after using drugs, they should seek medical treatment as soon as possible and receive an ophthalmological evaluation to confirm whether the symptoms are related to the drug, even if there is no pain.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently issued a warning on GLP-1 receptor agonist drugs, stating that the use of such drugs may increase the risk of the rare "non-arteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy (NAION)". my country's Food and Drug Administration will also initiate an overall safety re-evaluation of this type of drugs and take necessary risk management measures based on the evaluation results.

After the relevant information was issued, it attracted public attention, and some people felt uneasy about it. Ou Hongyi pointed out that the FDA's announcement was to remind medical personnel of the risks associated with such drugs. It is a very important message that needs to be taken seriously. However, this time the US FDA only issued a warning and did not require medical institutions and patients to immediately stop using related drugs. At this stage, the public does not need to panic excessively.

Ou Hongyi explained that even ordinary people are still at risk of NAION. According to the data announced by the FDA, the risk of NAION for people who use GLP-1 related drugs is 6.4 per 100,000 people, while the probability of NAION for the general population is 3.8 per 100,000 people. The risk difference between the two is actually very low, and there is no statistically significant correlation.

In addition, Ou Hongyi mentioned that some comments believe that the risk difference shown by the US FDA is related to the fact that users of GLP-1 related drugs themselves are high-risk groups for NAION. However, in fact, the subjects analyzed in the aforementioned data include patients with diabetes, obesity, etc. The causal relationship and detailed reasons for the occurrence of NAION after using such drugs have not yet been fully determined.

Ou Hongyi emphasized that although GLP-1 receptor agonist drugs have their own risks, the protective effects on blood sugar control, weight, kidneys, heart, and liver have also been confirmed by data, and health insurance also has payment indications for related drugs. It is necessary for doctors to use such drugs for diabetic patients. Do not stop the drug hastily. Be sure to discuss and evaluate it with the doctor first. Self-paid weight loss and other uses are another matter.