Diabetes medications and eye risks: Information for patients
Lowering blood glucose reduces the long‑term risk of diabetic eye disease, diabetic retinopathy.
Diabetic eye disease can lead to loss of vision. However, if glucose levels drop quickly, retinopathy can temporarily worsen within a few months, this has been seen with insulin treatment. It can also happen with GLP‑1 medications (for example, Ozempic, Rybelsus) and the GLP‑1 and GIP treatment called Mounjaro.
Rarely, people can develop a blood clot near the back of the eye, which can cause sudden, painless vision loss in one eye. This can happen in people with or without diabetes. It is more common in people with raised vascular risk factors such as diabetes, high blood pressure, smoking.
A small number of cases have been reported shortly after starting GLP‑1–based treatments, but it is not yet known if the medication is the cause.
Seek urgent medical advice if you experience:
- sudden painless loss of vision in one eye
- visual field defects
- reduced colour vision
- sudden onset of blurred or dim vision
