Some type 2 diabetes medications may help lower the risk of obesity- related cancers. A new US study found people with type 2 diabetes who were treated with glucagon-like peptide receptor agonists (GLP-1RAs) were at a reduced risk for 10 different obesity-associated cancers.
The study by researchers at Ohio’s Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine in Cleveland, published in JAMA Network, compared groups with type 2 diabetes receiving three treatments: individuals taking GLP-1RAs, those taking insulin, and those taking metformin.
The results showed participants on GLP-1RAs saw a significant risk reduction for 10 out of 13 obesity-associated cancers, compared to participants taking insulin.
This study was a retrospective observational study: to gather information from a large sample, researchers looked at de-indentified electronic health records from over 1.6 million people; all had type 2 diabetes and no history of any of the 13 obesity-associated cancers.
All participants had also been prescribed one of three medication types to assist with diabetes management: GLP-1RAs; insulin; or metformin.
During the 15-year follow-up period, researchers examined the incidence of each of the 13 obesity-associated cancers. The researchers found participants prescribed GLP-1RAs had a lower associated risk for 10 of the 13 obesity-associated cancers than those prescribed insulin; this included a reduced risk for gallbladder, pancreatic, ovarian, colorectal and esophageal cancer.
Overall, researchers found that compared to metformin users, GLP-1RA users were not at a decreased risk for any of the cancers and were also at an increased risk for kidney cancer.
