Semaglutide is a glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonist (GLP-1 RA) that works by mimicking a hormone that the body uses to signal that it’s full or satisfied. It was originally approved for treating type 2 diabetes (under the Ozempic brand name), but the U.S. Food and Drug Administration soon approved it to help patients lose weight (under the Wegovy brand name).

Ozempic and Wegovy have received considerable attention for various reasons, including their side effects. I’ve discussed some of these in earlier blog posts about gastroparesis and vision problems, like NAION. Unfortunately, additional serious side effects continue to be brought up, including complications from blood clots, such as deep vein thrombosis (DVT). Let’s take a closer look at semaglutide and its connection to DVT.

What Is Deep Vein Thrombosis?

According to the Mayo Clinic, DVT is where a thrombus (blood clot) forms in a deep vein. Because some of the largest veins in the body are located in the legs, DVTs often form there. When they do, there are sometimes no noticeable symptoms, but DVTs are often characterized by pain and/or swelling in the leg.

A DVT can be dangerous because it can lead to a pulmonary embolism (PE). This is where the blood clot in the vein can break loose and travel to the lungs and get stuck in an artery.

Does Ozempic Increase the Risk of DVT?

Potentially. The primary basis for connecting Ozempic to deep vein thrombosis is a study from 2021 where researchers looked at patients who took semaglutide to treat type 2 diabetes. They found that it increased the risk of DVT by 266%.

Before jumping to any conclusions about whether Ozempic causes DVT, we need to recognize that some people who take Ozempic or Wegovy may already be at greater risk for DVTs. So the classic question becomes, “Does Ozempic cause DVTs or are those already at risk for DVTs more likely to take Ozempic?” The answer to this question isn’t 100% clear, but some of the risk factors for developing DVT include:

• Lack of movement of the legs (like sitting for hours at a time)
• Obesity
• Heart problems
• Cancer
• Smoking
• Birth control pills
• Advanced age

Diabetes also increases the risk of blood clots. One reason is that those with diabetes are at higher risk of plaque buildup in the arteries. Then there’s the fact that diabetics often have higher levels of fibrinogen, which makes the blood thicker and the red blood cells more likely to stick together. So someone who decides to take Ozempic to treat their diabetes is likely already at higher risk for developing DVTs, but it’s quite possible that Ozempic could further increase this risk.

How Ozempic May Cause Blood Clots

More research is probably needed to know for sure if Ozempic increases the risk of blood clots and if so, how much that increase is. But several factors support the conclusion that Ozempic may increase the risk of developing a DVT:

• It’s widely accepted that Ozempic affects the digestive system, with recognized side effects that include diarrhea. Diarrhea can lead to dehydration, which can increase the viscosity (thickness) of blood.
• Ozempic slows down digestion, which can result in slower blood circulation, which increases the risk of blood clots.
• GLP-1 RAs affect platelets, which play a key role in coagulation.
• Rapid weight loss could increase the risk of experiencing DVT.

Current Status of GLP-1 RA Litigation

The bulk of litigation relating to Ozempic and similar drugs seems to focus on gastrointestinal side effects, such as gastroparesis, and vision problems, like NAION. Many of these cases are part of the GLP-1 RA multidistrict litigation (MDL). However, attempts to add DVT and blood-clot-related lawsuits involving GLP-1 RAs to this MDL have been unsuccessful so far.

If you’ve taken Ozempic, Wegovy, or another GLP-1 RA medication and suffered from a DVT, PE or other complication from blood clots, this doesn’t mean you can’t sue. It only means that, for now, your case won’t get added to the current MDL. That being said, the litigation involving semaglutide and similar pharmaceuticals is fairly recent. Depending on how strong the connection between Ozempic and blood clots is, we could see many more DVT lawsuits getting filed in the future and perhaps a new MDL will be created to handle many of them.

The legal future of Ozempic is very fluid right now. As more and more people take the drug and research gets done, we’ll learn more about its risks. Whether you’re currently on Ozempic or stopped taking it, if you have any health concerns relating to that medication, please reach out to your primary care provider. If you want to learn more about your legal rights, I’m happy to help. You can reach me at (919) 830-5602 or use the online contact form to schedule an initial consultation. Good luck!