NAION

NAION is damage to the eye’s main nerve from poor blood flow. It usually causes sudden loss of sight in one eye. Here is how it is found and what the GLP-1 drug lawsuits claim.

What is NAION?

NAION is damage to the optic nerve from poor blood flow. The optic nerve carries what the eye sees to the brain. NAION usually causes a sudden, painless loss of sight in one eye.

NAION is short for non-arteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy. Ischemic means poor blood flow. Anterior means the damage is at the front of the nerve, at the spot doctors call the optic disc. Non-arteritic means it is not caused by arteritis, such as giant cell arteritis (also called temporal arteritis).

It mostly affects people in their 50s or older. The National Library of Medicine lists causes of this kind of nerve damage that include hardened arteries and diabetes.

MedlinePlus says poor blood flow is the most common cause of optic nerve atrophy, and that damage from optic nerve atrophy cannot be reversed.

What are the signs of NAION, and when should I see a doctor?

The main sign is a sudden loss of sight in one eye, often with no pain. Get emergency eye care for any sudden loss of sight, even if it comes back. Talk to your doctor before you stop or change any medicine.

MedlinePlus says to tell your eye doctor right away about any change in vision. The Ozempic label also tells patients to contact their doctor if their vision changes during treatment.

FDA has said that when a drug shows up on its list of possible risks under review, it is not telling patients to stop the drug.

How do doctors diagnose NAION?

An eye doctor does a full eye exam. It checks how sharp your sight is, your side vision, your color vision and how your pupils react to light. The doctor also looks at the back of the eye.

Drops widen the pupils so the doctor can see inside the eye. This is called a dilated eye exam. The doctor may also check the pressure in the eye.

In NAION, the front of the optic nerve is often swollen, with tiny spots of bleeding. Imaging tests may also be used.

Which records show a NAION diagnosis?

Records from your eye doctor show the diagnosis. Exam notes list your sight scores, side vision test and pupil checks. Notes or pictures from the dilated exam can show a swollen optic nerve.

Pharmacy and prescription records show which drug you took and when. The court in the NAION cases has asked for records that confirm proof of use and proof of diagnosis.

HHS says patients may get copies of their records, such as test results and images. A provider normally has up to 30 days to respond, and cannot refuse because you have not paid a bill.

What does research say about GLP-1 drugs and NAION?

FDA listed a “potential signal of a serious risk” of NAION for GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic. FDA says it “is evaluating the need for regulatory action” on it. A listing does not mean FDA found that the drugs cause NAION.

The listing was in FDA’s report for late 2024 and covered the whole group of GLP-1 drugs, such as Ozempic and Wegovy. FDA gave that status as of March 6, 2025. FDA says these signals are based wholly or in part on reports in its adverse event system. We did not find a later FDA update on it.

The Ozempic label revised in May 2026 does not warn about NAION, and FDA’s label database found no Ozempic label that mentions optic neuropathy. Its eye warning is about problems from diabetic eye disease.

We found no court ruling that GLP-1 drugs cause NAION. The court has set early steps on that question. Requests to keep out expert opinions, and requests to decide the cases without a trial, are due by July 2, 2027.

Who brings NAION claims in the GLP-1 drug cases?

People who took GLP-1 drugs and later lost sight from NAION bring these claims. They say drugs such as Ozempic, Wegovy, Saxenda and Trulicity caused it. Whether a person has a claim depends on their own records and facts.

In December 2025, the federal NAION cases were grouped before Judge Karen S. Marston in Pennsylvania. A panel of federal judges kept them as their own group, apart from the GLP-1 stomach and bowel cases, to make them easier to track. The same judge handles both groups.

In July 2026, the court ordered early work on two shared questions: whether the drugs can cause NAION, and whether federal drug-label rules block the claims about warnings.

Can a family member get records for someone with NAION?

Often, yes. A health care power of attorney lets someone make health care choices for an adult. That person can then get the records that go with that role. A court can also name a guardian.

If the person has died, the executor or administrator of the estate may get the records needed to handle it. A provider may also share some facts with a relative who was involved in the person’s care or in paying for it. State law decides who can act.

If a person with NAION has died of any cause, the wrongful death case page explains in general how those claims work.