Diabetes Drug Cuts Cancer Risk: Study 

United States: In the output from recent research, it is revealed that the famous drug to cure diabetes and over-weight, GLP-1RAs, which includes Ozempic and Wegovy, could effectively lower the danger of ten out of thirteen obesity-associated cancers in type 2 diabetics. 

More about the news 

A study indicated that although there was circulation of negative points regarding a member of a group of drugs, often referred to as glucagon-like peptide one receptor agonists (GLP-1s or GLP-1RAs) that are used for treatment of diabetes and obesity among other conditions. 

A new study done by the Case Western Reserve University (CWRU) School of Medicine showed some more of the benefits of GLP-1RAs, and most crucially, it can combat obesity-cancer. 

As the scientists explain, the thirteen obesity-associated cancers (OAC) are gallbladder, meningioma, pancreatic, liver (hepatocellular carcinoma), ovarian, colorectal, multiple myeloma, esophageal, endometrial, stomach, breast, thyroid, and kidney. 

How was the study conducted? 

For the purpose of the study, the scientists examined the health data stored within healthcare organizations between March 2005 and November 2018 of more than 1.6 million patients in the US who were diagnosed with type 2 diabetes and prescribed GLP-1RAs or another diabetes medication (insulin or metformin). 

The study participants were divided into groups based on prescriptions of medicines for the purpose of comparison. 

What were the study findings? 

Scientists found out that as compared with insulin, GLP-1RAs medicines were significantly in lowering the risk for ten out of the thirteen OACs. 

The study noted that it caused the gallbladder cancer risk to be reduced by 65 percent, others were as follows, 63 percent reduction for meningioma; 59 percent for pancreatic cancer; 53 percent for hepatocellular carcinoma; 48 percent for ovarian cancer; 46 percent for colorectal cancer; 41 percent for multiple myeloma; 40 percent for esophageal cancer; 26 percent for endometrial cancer and, 24 percent for kidney cancer. 

What more have the researchers stated? 

As per the researchers of the study, “In this study of patients with T2D [type 2 diabetes] who were cancer-free at baseline, taking GLP-1RAs compared with insulin was associated with a lower risk of 10 of 13 OACs,” as newatlas.com reported. 

Moreover, “The potential cancer-preventative effects of OACs by GLP-1RAs warrant further long-term studies as well as studies of individual newer and possibly more effective antidiabetic and weight loss agents … Studies are also warranted to evaluate the preventive effects of these agents on non-OACs,” as they continued.