People using Wegovy, a GLP-1 agonist approved by the US Food and Drug Administration for weight loss, may be about five times at risk of developing ‘eye stroke’ that can lead to sight loss, compared to users of Ozempic, according to an alarming study.

Although Semaglutide is the active ingredient found in both Wegovy and Ozempic, the blockbuster drugs are intended for different purposes.

While Wegovy (launched in 2021) targets weight loss, Ozempic (approved in 2017) is more commonly used for treating type 2 diabetes.

The study, published in the British Journal of Ophthalmology, showed that the odds of ischemic optic neuropathy -- a sudden, often painless loss of vision -- are three times higher in men than in women.

What Is Ischemic Optic Neuropathy (ION)?

ION is caused by inadequate/interrupted blood flow to the optic nerve, resulting in sudden vision loss in one or both eyes.

Although rare, ION has recently been linked to GLP-1 receptor agonists, particularly semaglutide, marketed as Wegovy, Ozempic, and Rybelsus, and variously used to treat obesity, diabetes, and to reduce cardiovascular disease risk, according to a team of Canadian researchers from the universities of Ottawa, Calgary, and Toronto.

"Semaglutide, in any formulation, was the only agent significantly associated with ION, with the strongest signal for Wegovy, followed by Ozempic,” the researchers said in the paper.

“These findings highlight a potential dose-dependent safety concern that warrants urgent prospective evaluation to guide prescribing and regulatory policy,” they added.

Key Findings

The study is based on an analysis of unintentional and harmful side effects associated with medicines submitted to the US FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) between December 2017 and December 2024.

To understand the risk of eye stroke, the team compared:

• weekly injectable Ozempic (2 mg) for type 2 diabetes
• weekly injectable Wegovy (2.4 ) for obesity
• a daily tablet of Rybelsus for type 2 diabetes
• weekly injection of Mounjaro (for type 2 diabetes)
• weekly injection of Zepbound (for obesity)

Of the 31,774 reports involving semaglutide:

• 3,070 were attributed to Wegovy, originating from six countries on three continents
• 20,608 were related to Ozempic, originating from 11 countries on four continents

ION wasn’t reported in association with Rybelsus.

The highest signal was for Wegovy in men (116 times greater odds) and for Ozempic in women (nearly 27 times greater odds), the researchers said.

Wegovy Is Top Weight-Loss Choice for US Teens

Only Wegovy has been approved by the US FDA for children aged 12 and older who are living with obesity. Since the approval in late 2022, the prescriptions have surged.

According to health data company Truveta, which reviewed medical records from 30 US health systems, prescriptions for Wegovy among teens jumped by 50 percent in 2024—rising from 9.9 per 100,000 adolescents in 2023 to 14.8 per 100,000 in 2024.

The first quarter of 2025 showed another increase, with the rate reaching 17.3 per 100,000.

Recent legal developments have highlighted the importance of advance planning for end-of-life care.

A Living Will is something every adult should consider discussing and creating at some point.

Conversations within families about individual preferences in the event of a terminal illness are an important first step, and these discussions should take place while everyone is still in good health.

Individuals may have very different views about how they wish to be treated if they develop a terminal illness or certain severe, irreversible conditions. For instance, some may not want ventilator support, while others may choose to avoid ICU care.

Some might accept ICU care but prefer not to undergo CPR. Others may prefer not to receive artificial feeding through tubes. Yet others may wish for every possible treatment to be attempted. A few may prefer to spend their final days at home.

Creating A Living Will

It should be noted that a Living Will does not impose any limitation on treatment for common medical conditions such as infections, surgery for curable illnesses, or routine hospital care.

These preferences apply only to situations such as terminal illness—for example, advanced cancer—or irreversible conditions such as a persistent vegetative state.

Creating a Living Will is now relatively straightforward. It must be signed in the presence of two witnesses and attested by a notary or a gazetted officer.

The earlier requirement of countersignature by a Judicial Magistrate has been removed to make the process easier. Templates are also available online that individuals can use as a basis for drafting their own. Before preparing one, it is helpful to discuss the pros and cons of their choices with the family doctor.

It is important to again emphasize that a Living Will is NOT about refusing all treatment, hospitalization, or ICU admission for routine medical care. Rather, it addresses only specific situations.

When such preferences are clearly documented in advance, important decisions about withholding or withdrawing treatment in select circumstances become less contentious.

Doctors and hospitals will no longer be hesitant to withhold unnecessary treatment measures in such situations, as it will already be documented in the patient’s own Living Will. Relatives also will not face the difficult decision of withholding or withdrawing futile medical treatment on behalf of their loved one.

Essentially, the Living Will protects the patient’s wishes when they are no longer able to speak for themselves.

What Happens Without A Living Will

In a terminally ill patient who is unable to communicate, the absence of a Living Will often leads to differences of opinion among family members about what the patient might have wanted.

This uncertainty frequently results in a collective decision to “do everything possible,” just to be on the safe side.

Doctors are reluctant to override the wishes of relatives, even when they believe that further treatment measures are unlikely to be beneficial.

As a result, the patient may receive prolonged medical interventions that neither improve the underlying condition nor enhance quality of life. Once started, these treatments may continue indefinitely until the patient dies naturally.

This may take months, years, or even decades, and also incur huge costs. In the absence of a Living Will, complex legal procedures are required to withdraw these treatments — even if all the relatives are convinced that they should be withdrawn.

Bolivia has reported an outbreak of mosquito-borne Chikungunya virus disease, with cases rising to more than 5,000 nationwide.

Chikungunya is transmitted by the Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus mosquitoes -- the same species that spread dengue fever and Zika virus disease. As a result, the disease becomes challenging to diagnose.

The South American country's Ministry of Health, in a statement, shared that "5,371 cases of chikungunya have been registered nationwide".

The worst areas in Bolivia include

• Santa Cruz (4,500 cases)
• Cochabamba (303 cases)
• Tarija (332 cases)
• Chuquisaca (81 cases)
• La Paz (68 cases)

The Ministry informed, "joint efforts to control and manage the vector".

It further noted that an investigation is being conducted to share the results and cause of death, as well as ongoing epidemiological surveillance for all vector-borne disease.

To curb the cases, the Health Ministry noted that "it is supporting the provision of biolarvicide and insecticide for departmental and municipal actions to prevent an increase in cases".

This includes the distribution of about 1,300 liters of insecticide and biological larvicides applied with backpack sprayers, Outbreak News Today reported.

The government also urged the general public to clean weeds from yards and gardens to eliminate the vector’s resting places

Global Cases

In January, the surveillance data from the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) reported 2,881 cases of Chikungunya virus disease and no associated deaths from 11 countries in European Union this year.

The ECDC noted that the Americas have reported 2,879 cases and one associated death, with Brazil reporting the highest number of cases in 2026.

In addition to Bolivia, other countries in South America reporting chikungunya include Costa Rica, El Salvador, Honduras, and Mexico.

French health authorities also reported a significant rise in chikungunya disease in Mayotte, an overseas department in the Indian Ocean. Since the beginning of 2026, more than 270 confirmed cases have been recorded, Vax-Before-Travel reported.

ECDC data shows that the weekly average of cases in the last two weeks of February 2026 was around 65.

Symptoms And Prevention

There is currently no antiviral drug treatment for chikungunya. While two vaccines against chikungunya have received regulatory approval, it still lacks widespread rollout.

Common symptoms of chikungunya include:

• abrupt onset of fever
• joint and muscle pain
• headache
• nausea
• fatigue
• rash

While serious complications are rare, the elderly and children under one year old may be at risk of long-term symptoms and even death.

The ECDC advised people "to take enhanced measures to prevent mosquito bites".

India's drug regulator, the Central Drugs Standard Control Organization (CDSCO), has threatened pharmaceutical firms with action for promoting GLP-1 weight-loss drugs among the general public.

Glucagon-Like Peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonists are a class of medicines that help lower blood sugar, support weight loss, reduce the risk of heart and kidney complications, and can even lower the risk of early death in people with type 2 diabetes.

In an official circular, the CDSCO warned drug makers from indulging in "direct or indirect advertising" for obesity and metabolic disorders.

The regulatory body also cautioned pharma companies against campaigns using influencers, noting that any violation "could attract regulatory action".

Advertisements, which "function as a surrogate advertisement for prescription-only drugs, shall be viewed seriously and may be treated as irrational or misleading marketing practice", read the letter signed by the Drug Controller General of India (DCGI) Rajeev Raghuvanshi.

The order comes as the CDSCO noted that drugmakers have been engaging in surrogate promotional activities, under the garb of disease awareness campaigns, and digital media outreach.

What The CDSCO Mandated

• Weight-loss drugs, specifically GLP-1 medications, must only be sold with a prescription from a registered medical practitioner.

• There should be no ads, whether direct or indirect, in print, electronic, digital, social media, or any other public platform intended, directly or indirectly, to promote the product to the general public.

• No GLP-1 drugs must exaggerate for therapeutic efficacy; suggest for assured or guaranteed weight loss outcome; and induce demand for pharmacological therapy

• awareness campaigns
• influencer engagement
• corporate campaigns

Rush For Generic Weight Loss Drugs

The government's advisory comes patent for semaglutide -- an active ingredient in diabetes and anti-obesity drugs, specifically Wegovy and Ozempic -- expires on March 20.

This will allow Indian pharma companies to launch cheaper generic versions, significantly increasing affordability and access for millions battling Type 2 diabetes and obesity.

Major Indian drugmakers gearing up to launch their generic semglutide injection in the country in March include Sun Pharmaceutical Industries, Zydus Lifesciences, Alkem Laboratories, Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories, Torrent Pharmaceuticals, and MSN Laboratories.

Obesity A Chronic Metabolic Condition

The CDSCO stressed the importance of "lifestyle modification measures (diet, exercise, behavioural interventions)" in treating obesity.

"Obesity is a chronic metabolic condition requiring comprehensive management, including lifestyle interventions," the regulator said.

"Pharmaceutical therapy, where indicated, must not be projected in a manner that undermines public health initiatives promoting diet control, physical activity, and preventive healthcare," it added.

WHO Guidelines On GLP-1 drugs

Amid increasing prevalence of GLP-1 drugs, the World Health Organisation (WHO), late last year, acknowledged its role in treating obesity.

However, it warned that medications like GLP-1 alone will not solve the problem affecting more than one billion people worldwide.

The global health body also issued conditional recommendations for using these therapies as part of a comprehensive approach that includes healthy diets, regular physical activity, and support from health professionals.