Your Health Today
Health Today: Alcohol Use Declines as GLP-1 Drugs Face Rare Vision Risk
Americans are drinking less alcohol, while a rare potential side effect involving vision loss is drawing attention among people taking some GLP-1 medications.
A recent study found alcohol consumption declined between 2022 and 2024, although use remained above 2018 levels. Younger adults, including Generation Z and millennials, saw some of the largest declines, while adults ages 50 to 64 continued to report relatively high levels of alcohol use.
Doctors have long linked excessive alcohol consumption with increased risks of conditions including liver disease, certain cancers and heart disease.
Meanwhile, millions of Americans taking GLP-1 medications for weight loss and diabetes are facing questions about a rare eye condition called non-arteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy, or NAION.
NAION can cause sudden vision loss by affecting the optic nerve.
Some patients taking GLP-1 medications have reported vision loss and filed lawsuits against drugmakers Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly, alleging they were not adequately warned about the potential risk. Novo Nordisk, which makes Ozempic and Wegovy, has said it is vigorously defending the lawsuits and believes they are without merit. Eli Lilly has said safety is its top priority and that it continues to review available data.
The evidence regarding the potential connection has not been uniform. The American Academy of Ophthalmology has said available data did not show a consistent overall increase in risk, while additional research is continuing.
In Europe, the European Medicines Agency concluded in 2025 that NAION is a very rare side effect of semaglutide, the active ingredient in Ozempic and Wegovy. The agency estimated that it may affect up to one in 10,000 people taking semaglutide.
The EMA recommends that people taking semaglutide seek medical attention without delay if they experience sudden vision loss or rapidly worsening eyesight.
GLP-1 medications remain widely used for diabetes and weight management, and the potential risk needs to be considered alongside their documented benefits. Anyone taking or considering these medications should discuss individual risks and benefits with a health care provider.
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By: NBC Palm Springs
September 22, 2026
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