Research

Hormonal

Semaglutide treatment is associated with a significantly higher risk of diabetic retinopathy complications compared to placebo in patients with type 2 diabetes, particularly those with preexisting retinopathy.

If you have type 2 diabetes and are taking semaglutide, be aware that it may increase the risk of eye problems, especially if you already have diabetic retinopathy. Regular eye exams are essential to monitor for any changes. The cardiovascular benefits of semaglutide are significant, but managing eye health is a critical part of your overall care plan.

StrongQualifiesHIGH confidence
Retinopathy complications occurred in 50 patients (3.0%) in the semaglutide group and 29 (1.8%) in the placebo group (hazard ratio, 1.76; 95% CI, 1.11 to 2.78; P = 0.02).
Steven P. Marso et al. · New England Journal of Medicine · 2016

Why this rating

Large-scale, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial with adjudicated outcomes.

Source

Semaglutide and Cardiovascular Outcomes in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes

Steven P. Marso et al. · New England Journal of Medicine · 2016

DOI 10.1056/nejmoa1607141

rct · n=3297Cited 6,503×
Read the paper
DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10

This is one finding among thousands. Every one is graded and traced to its source, so you can see what the evidence actually supports. Browse the research →