WEDNESDAY, Oct. 21, 2026 (HealthDay News) -- For patients with non-arteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy (NAION), glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonist exposure is associated with earlier sequential NAION, according to a study presented at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Ophthalmology, held Oct. 9 to 12 in New Orleans.
Ashley Tin, from the Carle Illinois College of Medicine in Urbana, and colleagues examined whether GLP-1 receptor agonist exposure is associated with earlier sequential NAION. Early (one to six months) versus late (36 to 60 months) events were compared in 1,440 GLP-1 receptor agonist users and 20,713 nonusers, stratified by pre- and post-GLP-1 receptor agonist eras.
The researchers found that the early event concentration was higher for GLP-1 receptor agonist users, with 69.5 versus 52 percent of events occurring within six months in users and nonusers, respectively (relative risk, 2.63). Across eras, findings were consistent. Higher hemoglobin A1c was seen in GLP-1 receptor agonist users versus nonusers.
"We were not particularly surprised by the findings because the large-database analysis was consistent with the clinical observation that prompted the study," Tin said in a statement. "That said, seeing the clinical impression reproduced across a very large dataset was striking and underscored the need to investigate the association further."
