Cancer Risk Lower in Diabetics Taking Weight-Loss Meds

Strategic Insights -

A study of 170,000 patient records suggests that taking weight-loss medications like Wegovy, Ozempic, and Zepbound may lower the risk of certain cancers in people with diabetes. Researchers found a 7% lower risk of developing an obesity-related cancer and an 8% lower risk of death from any cause in patients taking these medications compared to those taking a different type of diabetes drug. While this type of study cannot prove cause and effect, the findings hint at a connection worth exploring. More than a dozen cancers are associated with excess body weight.

Key Takeaways:

  • The study analyzed data from 43 U.S. health systems and compared two groups: people with obesity and diabetes who took GLP-1 drugs and those who took diabetes drugs like sitagliptin.
  • The two groups were equal in size and matched for other characteristics.
  • After four years, those who took GLP-1 drugs had a 7% lower risk of developing an obesity-related cancer and an 8% lower risk of death from any cause compared to those who took the other type of diabetes drug.
  • There were 2,501 new cases of obesity-related cancer in the GLP-1 group compared to 2,671 cases in the other group.
  • The effect was evident in women, but not statistically significant in men.
  • The study couldn't explain the difference, but differences in blood drug concentration, weight loss, metabolism, or hormones could be at play.
  • Dr. Ernest Hawk of MD Anderson Cancer Center noted that the study is a call to scientists and clinical investigators to do more work in this area to prove or disprove the connection.

Statistics:

  • 170,000 patient records were analyzed in the study.
  • 43 U.S. health systems provided data for the study.
  • The study compared two groups of equivalent size (each 85,000 patients).
  • The GLP-1 group had a 7% lower risk of developing an obesity-related cancer.
  • The GLP-1 group had an 8% lower risk of death from any cause.
  • There were 2,501 new cases of obesity-related cancer in the GLP-1 group.
  • There were 2,671 new cases of obesity-related cancer in the other group.

Sources:

  • American Society of Clinical Oncology
  • New York University's Grossman School of Medicine (Lucas Mavromatis, researcher)
  • National Institutes of Health (study funding source)
  • MD Anderson Cancer Center (Dr. Ernest Hawk, quoted expert)