Morning Note

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration made a jarring announcement on Monday, formally alerting patients and health care providers that GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic and Zepbound may increase users’ chances of going blind. 

Clinical trials have specifically revealed the drugs carry enough risk of a disease called NAION to warrant a government mandate of new warning language on their labels. NAION is the most common type of ischemic optic neuropathy, a condition in which reduced blood flow damages the vital cable that connects the eyes to the brain. The cable is called the optic nerve. Eyesight would be impossible without it. 

This news is obviously frightening, but there is a positive angle: no one has to take Ozempic. Even Americans weighing over 400 pounds can return to good health without GLP-1s. Cutting out added sugars and exercising for 20 minutes a day is not nearly as big a commitment as it may seem, and it is as good a bet as any to lose weight. Plus, it won’t make you blind. Read more.