GLP-1 receptor agonists lowered the chance of a number of obesity-associated cancers, a retrospective evaluation of digital well being data urged.
In contrast with insulin, GLP-1s have been related to a decrease threat for creating 10 of 13 cancers in folks with sort II diabetes, reported Nathan Berger, MD, of the Case Western Reserve College in Cleveland, and colleagues in JAMA Community Open.
The follow-up interval spanned as much as 15 years, and confirmed threat reductions for:
- Gallbladder most cancers: HR 0.35 (95% CI 0.15-0.83)
- Meningioma: HR 0.37 (95% CI 0.18-0.74)
- Pancreatic most cancers: HR 0.41 (95% CI 0.33-0.50)
- Hepatocellular carcinoma: HR 0.47 (95% CI 0.36-0.61)
- Ovarian most cancers: HR 0.52 (95% CI 0.37-0.74)
- Colorectal most cancers: HR 0.54 (95% CI 0.46-0.64)
- A number of myeloma: HR 0.59 (95% CI 0.44-0.77)
- Esophageal most cancers: HR 0.60 (95% CI 0.42-0.86)
- Endometrial most cancers: HR 0.74 (95% CI 0.60-0.91)
- Kidney most cancers: HR 0.76 (95% CI 0.64-0.91)
No lower in most cancers threat was related to GLP-1 receptors in contrast with metformin.
“This research provides to the rising physique of proof supporting the pleiotropic results of GLP-1 receptor agonists on most cancers prevention, together with obesity-associated cancers,” co-author and medical pupil Lindsey Wang, additionally of Case Western Reserve College Faculty of Medication, instructed MedPage Right this moment. (Berger handed away earlier than the research was revealed.)
“Provided that weight problems is a recognized threat issue for at the least 13 most cancers sorts, and contemplating the widespread use of GLP-1 receptor agonists for each sort 2 diabetes administration and weight reduction, we noticed a possibility to research a possible hyperlink,” she mentioned.
“The growing reputation of newer GLP-1 receptor agonists like semaglutide [Ozempic, Wegovy] and tirzepatide [Mounjaro, Zepbound] additional underscored the significance of this analysis,” Wang added.
The researchers recognized a pattern in direction of a decreased threat for abdomen most cancers with GLP-1s in contrast with insulin which didn’t attain statistical significance. GLP-1s weren’t related to a decreased threat of postmenopausal breast most cancers or thyroid most cancers.
When GLP-1s have been in contrast with metformin, the researchers discovered a nonsignificant pattern towards a decrease threat for colorectal and gallbladder most cancers. Kidney cancers, nevertheless, confirmed an elevated threat with GLP-1 therapy relative to metformin (HR 1.54, 95% CI 1.27-1.87).
The rise in kidney most cancers threat suggests “the necessity for continued monitoring in sufferers being handled with GLP-1 receptor agonists,” the researchers famous. GLP-1s have direct results on kidney perform in renal vasculature however have not been tied with elevated mitogenesis or earlier stories of kidney cancers, they identified.
The evaluation was carried out utilizing digital well being data of 1,651,452 U.S. sufferers with sort 2 diabetes who have been prescribed GLP-1 receptor agonists, insulins, or metformin from 2005 to 2018. No sufferers had a previous prognosis of obesity-associated cancers. The typical age was about 59.8 years, 60.6% have been white, and 50.1% have been male.
In contrast with insulin customers, GLP-1 customers tended to be youthful; have been extra more likely to be feminine and white; had the next prevalence of household historical past of most cancers, weight problems or obese, and medical encounters for most cancers screening; and had prior prescriptions of different antidiabetic brokers, together with insulins, metformin, DPP-4 inhibitors, SGLT2 inhibitors, sulfonylureas, thiazolidinediones, and α-glucosidase inhibitors.
Sufferers on this research had medical encounters with a healthcare system and outcomes might not be generalizable to different populations, the researchers mentioned. The evaluation didn’t management for healthcare utilization or insurance coverage sort.
Disclosures
The research was supported with grants and awards from the Nationwide Most cancers Institute Case Complete Most cancers Heart, American Most cancers Society, The Landon Basis-American Affiliation for Most cancers Analysis, Nationwide Institutes of Well being (NIH) Director’s New Innovator Award Program, Nationwide Institute on Ageing, and the Nationwide Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism.
Berger and one co-author reported receiving grants from the NIH throughout the research. No different disclosures have been reported.
Major Supply
JAMA Community Open
Supply Reference: Wang L, et al “Glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor agonists and 13 obesity-associated cancers in sufferers with sort 2 diabetes” JAMA Netw Open 2024; DOI: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2024.21305.
