MRI scans are strong diagnostics with high-definition images of what lies inside a body. Strong magnetic fields require precaution, as brought out by an instance where a young woman suffered very serious injuries due to an oversight in a metallic core within a silicone sex toy that she happened to have before the MRI scan. This makes a stark reminder about the potentially deadly consequences of missing metal objects when such procedures are being performed. In April 2023, a 23-year-old woman went into an MRI with a silicone plug containing a metal core that was not known.

She thought that the item is made entirely out of silicone according to the advertising. However, the strong magnetic field of the MRI machine interacted with the hidden metal, dragging the object through her body and causing excruciating pain. According to reports from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the scene was harrowing, with the woman screaming in agony and requiring immediate hospitalization. Despite pre-scan screenings, which are routine prior to a scan, the patient did not inform the facility that the object existed because he presumed it was purely non-metallic. This caused serious injuries that led to the patient's law suit against the manufacturer for deceitful misrepresentations of material content.

MRI machines employ magnets between 0.5 to 3 Tesla (T). This is thousands of times stronger than the Earth's magnetic field. The tremendous force causes ferromagnetic materials, like iron and nickel, to be magnetized quickly and become strongly attracted toward the magnet. Objects as small as hairpins or paper clips will accelerate at 40 miles per hour inside the magnetic field.

The force can lead to catastrophic injuries in items lodged within the body, such as metallic implants or foreign objects. Metallic cores within devices, like pacemakers or intrauterine devices, must be disclosed to radiologists to prevent such complications.

How Metal Objects Interact with MRI Fields?

On these claims, Dr. Adam Taylor, a specialist in human anatomy, weighed his words in a international health website and added that the distance away and mass of this object would increase its velocity towards that of sound, "The acceleration would be phenomenal, but with a metallic core, it can't go anywhere near supersonic speeds. As for the size, the magnetic acceleration to the internal soft tissues would ensure that there could be severe intracranial trauma."

The injuries inflicted in this case likely involved damage to major blood vessels, nerves, or organs, highlighting the devastating impact of even minor oversight during an MRI scan.

This is not an isolated case. There are documented cases of metallic objects causing serious damage during MRI scans with a 65-year-old man with schizophrenia swallowed metal objects, including sockets and a hinge pin. The powerful magnetic field during an MRI scan caused the objects to rupture his stomach, resulting in serious injuries.

A toddler who ingested 11 small magnets perforated his bowel while undergoing a scan, making his case unique. In another deadly but extremely rare incident, there have been people who hide a firearm on themselves during MRI procedures. Magnetic attraction can trigger a discharge in a weapon and has led to some fatal injuries.

These cases emphasize the very strong need for adequate screening and patient education prior to an MRI.

Preventing MRI-Related Incidents

Medical professionals have been trained to avoid risks. This is by properly screening a patient for metallic objects. In general, most pre-scan protocols include:

• Patients are interrogated about implants, recent surgery or exposures at work related to metals.
• Radiologists sometimes use handheld metal detectors to search for hidden items.
• People who work with metal, like welders or machinists, will need additional testing to detect microscopic metal fragments within soft tissues or eyes.

The case emphasizes the importance of product labeling by manufacturers, especially those products that are likely to unintentionally cause harm to health. The patient's assumption that her device was 100% silicone points to a larger problem in consumer markets with misinformation.

It also reminds the patients to report any possible dangers to the medical professionals, no matter how the objects look non-metallic. In sensitive cases, patients can request private discussions with healthcare providers to ensure safety without discomfort.

In the end, it is a joint effort from manufacturers, healthcare professionals, and patients that can prevent such tragedies. Manufacturers must ensure truthful marketing, while healthcare providers should educate patients about the dangers of metal objects in MRI settings. For patients, understanding the risks and actively participating in pre-scan disclosures can be lifesaving.

This young woman's experience is a sobering example of the unforeseen dangers posed by MRI machines when precautions are overlooked. It serves as a wake-up call to address gaps in patient awareness, medical protocols, and product transparency. By learning from this incident, the medical community and the public can work together to ensure MRI scans remain a safe and effective diagnostic tool.

GLP-1 drugs such as Ozempic and Wegovy can reduce cardiovascular events and deaths in people with type 2 diabetes (T2D) and some people with obesity. However, stopping treatment may affect these benefits.

Around 20–50% of patients discontinue GLP-1 therapy within the first year. Previous studies have linked discontinuation to weight regain and worsening blood sugar, blood pressure and cholesterol levels.

Now, a study published in The Lancet Regional Health has found that people with type 2 diabetes and no previous cardiovascular disease who stopped GLP-1 treatment had nearly twice the risk of heart attack, stroke or death from any cause compared with those who continued.

"In people with T2D and without previous cardiovascular disease, interrupting a therapy with GLP-1RA was associated with a higher risk of a composite of myocardial infarction, stroke, or death from any cause compared to those continuing the treatment," said researchers from IRCCS MultiMedica in Milan, Italy.

However, the observational study cannot establish that stopping GLP-1 drugs directly caused the increased risk. Researchers also did not know why patients discontinued treatment, which could have been due to side effects, cost or underlying illnesses such as frailty or cancer.

What Did The Study Find?

Researchers analysed electronic medical records from more than 300 diabetes clinics in the Italian Association of Clinical Diabetologists (AMD) database, covering 2004–2024.

They identified more than 80,000 people with type 2 diabetes and no established cardiovascular disease who had started GLP-1 treatment.

Those who continued treatment took the medication for nearly three years on average, compared with just over one year among those who stopped.

The combined risk of non-fatal heart attack, non-fatal stroke or death from any cause was nearly twice as high among those who discontinued treatment.

• Those who stopped: About 4 events per 100 people per year.
• Those who continued: About 2 events per 100 people per year.

People With Obesity Had Higher Risks

Among those who discontinued treatment, the risks of adverse outcomes were higher in people with obesity (body mass index of 30 or above) than in those without obesity.

Interestingly, changes in weight, blood sugar and blood pressure after stopping treatment were modest and similar among those who subsequently experienced a heart attack, stroke or death and those who did not.

This suggests that changes in these risk factors may not fully explain the higher rates of adverse outcomes.

Should You Stop Ozempic Or Wegovy?

Lead author Antonio Ceriello, head of diabetes research at IRCCS MultiMedica, said the association between stopping GLP-1 receptor agonists and poorer cardiovascular outcomes was "not a complete surprise". However, he noted that the scale of the association was significant, ABC News reported.

The researchers said long-term GLP-1 use may be important for maintaining health benefits in people with type 2 diabetes, but further studies are needed to establish whether stopping treatment directly increases cardiovascular risk or reflects worsening underlying health.

People taking Ozempic, Wegovy or other GLP-1 medications should discuss any decision to stop treatment with their doctor.

Eli Lilly's oral weight-loss drug Foundayo, that received FDA approval in April 2026, has shown promise in reducing the severity of obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) in a recent trial.

OSA is a condition in which breathing repeatedly gets interrupted during sleep. In a late-stage clinical trial, the medicine reduced the repeated starting and stopping of breathing by up to 44% over 52 weeks in adults with moderate-to-severe sleep apnoea and overweight or obesity.

The findings from the phase 3 ATTAIN-OSA clinical programme were presented at the American Heart Association's Scientific Sessions 2026 on November 9 and published simultaneously in JAMA. The study included 712 participants, divided into two groups based on whether they were using positive airway pressure (PAP) therapy.

Eli Lilly plans to submit the findings to the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) by the end of 2026 to seek approval for Foundayo as a treatment for moderate-to-severe obstructive sleep apnoea in adults with overweight or obesity.

Foundayo Reduces Sleep Apnoea Episodes

Also read: Lancet Study Says Obesity Drug Mazdutide Shows 18% Weight Loss In 32 Weeks: How Does It Compare To Wegovy?

The trial evaluated Foundayo, also known by its generic name orforglipron, in two separate studies. One involved 363 adults who were not using PAP therapy, while the other included 349 participants who continued using it.

After 52 weeks, the drug reduced the number of breathing interruptions per hour, measured using the apnoea-hypopnoea index (AHI).

The findings included:

• Participants not using PAP therapy: Breathing interruptions fell by 43.8% compared to a 6.3% reduction in the placebo group.
• Participants using PAP therapy: Breathing interruptions fell by 27.5% compared to a 3% reduction in the placebo group.
• Better oxygen levels: Sleep apnoea-related oxygen deprivation, measured through hypoxic burden, fell by 55.9% in the group not using PAP and 45.8% in the group using PAP.

The drug also helped some participants reach remission or mild disease. According to Lilly's reported efficacy analysis, this included 31.5% of participants not using PAP therapy and 19.6% of those using it.

Can Foundayo Replace CPAP Therapy?

Also read: Ozempic, Mounjaro Users Report Burning Skin Sensation: What Is Allodynia?

Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP), a form of PAP therapy, remains a standard treatment for obstructive sleep apnoea. It uses a machine to deliver a steady flow of air through a mask, keeping the airway open during sleep.

The ATTAIN-OSA programme included participants who were not using PAP therapy as well as those who continued using it. The results suggest that Foundayo could benefit both groups, but they do not establish that patients can stop using CPAP.

Vaishnavi Kundel, the study's presenting author and Associate Professor of Medicine at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, said, “If approved to treat obstructive sleep apnea, orforglipron could be a promising oral pharmacologic option for people with overweight or obesity and this condition. A convenient daily pill may help expand access to treatment for sleep apnea, and it could potentially be used with CPAP or other therapies to better meet individual patient’s needs.”

More About Foundayo

Also read: Ozempic, Zepbound: US FDA Orders New Warning Over Rare Eye Risk

Foundayo is an oral glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonist. It is taken once daily and works by mimicking the GLP-1 hormone, which helps regulate appetite, calorie intake and blood glucose levels.

By reducing appetite and supporting weight loss, the drug may help address one of the important risk factors of obstructive sleep apnoea.

Excess weight, especially around the neck and upper airway, can increase the likelihood of airway narrowing or collapse during sleep. When the airway repeatedly becomes blocked, breathing interruptions occur and blood oxygen levels can fall.

Participants taking Foundayo lost an average of 11.5% of their body weight in the study group not using PAP therapy and 11.2% in the group using it.

Why Is Obstructive Sleep Apnoea A Concern?

Obstructive sleep apnoea is a breathing disorder related to sleep in which the muscles and soft tissues of the upper airway relax during sleep, causing the airway to narrow or become temporarily blocked.

This results in repeated pauses in breathing or episodes of shallow breathing, disrupting sleep and reducing oxygen levels. Common symptoms include:

• Loud and constant snoring
• Episodes of gasping or choking during sleep
• Waking up frequently during the night
• Morning headaches
• Excessive daytime sleepiness
• Difficulty concentrating and irritability

Amid increasing reports of a rare form of sudden vision loss called nonarteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy (NAION) following the use of drugs such as Ozempic, Wegovy and Mounjaro, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has ordered GLP-1 drugmakers Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly to add warnings about the potential eye risk to their drug labels.

NAION can cause sudden, painless vision loss in one eye and, in some cases, permanent impairment.

In a Drug Safety Communication, the FDA informed patients and healthcare providers about the potential increased risk associated with these medicines. It is requiring manufacturers to include information about NAION in the Warnings and Precautions section of their drug labels.

The agency said it evaluated clinical trial data, animal studies and post-marketing evidence, including observational studies and case reports.

GLP-1 Users File Lawsuits Over Vision Loss

Also read: Hundreds Of American GLP-1 Users Sue Novo Nordisk, Eli Lilly Over Vision Loss: What Is NAION?

The FDA action comes amid lawsuits filed by people who allege they developed NAION after taking GLP-1 drugs such as Ozempic and Wegovy.

According to The Wall Street Journal, US law firm Weitz & Luxenberg has filed more than 90 lawsuits in New Jersey state court since 2025 on behalf of people who say they developed the condition while taking these medicines.

Separate federal lawsuits in Philadelphia accuse Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly of failing to provide adequate warnings about the potential eye risk. The cases are pending. The allegations do not establish that the medicines caused the condition.

Regulators in Europe and Australia have also required warnings about a possible increased risk of NAION with some GLP-1 medicines.

In the US, vision problems are listed as possible side effects, but NAION had not previously been included as a specific risk in FDA-required labelling. The FDA's Sentinel Initiative is also reviewing the possible safety signal.

What Is NAION?

NAION is the most common acute optic neuropathy in people over 50, according to the Mayo Clinic. It occurs when blood flow to the optic nerve is reduced, damaging the nerve that carries visual information from the eye to the brain.

The condition typically causes sudden, painless vision loss in one eye. While some patients may experience partial improvement, the damage can be permanent. There is currently no proven treatment to reverse the vision loss.

Diabetes itself increases the risk of NAION, independent of GLP-1 use. Other risk factors include low blood pressure during sleep and having a small optic nerve cup.

What Does Research Say About The Risk?

Read More: Wegovy More Likely To Cause Rare Blindness Than Ozempic And Other Similar Drugs, Recent Study Finds

The potential association between GLP-1 medicines and NAION has been under regulatory review internationally.

Last year, the European Medicines Agency's safety committee said NAION may affect up to one in 10,000 people taking semaglutide for at least one year. Semaglutide is the active ingredient in Ozempic, Wegovy and Rybelsus.

The Danish Patient Compensation Association also granted compensation to four patients who experienced vision loss after using Novo Nordisk's GLP-1 medicines.

A large study published in 2025 tracked nearly 175,000 people with diabetes taking semaglutide and an equal number taking non-GLP-1 medicines. It found that the risk of NAION was more than twice as high after two years of treatment with semaglutide compared with other diabetes medicines.

However, an observed association does not establish that the medicines directly caused the condition.

The FDA routinely monitors medicines after they enter the market, evaluates potential safety signals and takes regulatory action when appropriate.