Study: Obesity and diabetes medications show effectiveness in reducing the risk of obesity-related cancers
A recent American study published in the journal "JAMA Oncology" revealed a potential new benefit of medications known as (GLP-1), used for treating diabetes and weight loss, as they may help reduce the risk of obesity-related cancers.
According to the study, which covered medical records of more than 86,000 people over ten years, the overall cancer risk among users of these medications decreased by 17%. There were 13.6 cancer cases diagnosed per 1,000 users annually, compared to 16.6 cases among non-users.
The medications recorded significant decreases in specific cancer types, most notably a 47% reduction in ovarian cancer, followed by a 31% decrease in the risk of meningiomas, and a 25% reduction in uterine cancer.
On the other hand, researchers noted a slight increase in kidney cancer cases, but they emphasized that this increase "was not statistically significant".
The study included medications such as Ozempic and Wegovy from Novo Nordisk, and Mounjaro and Zepbound from Eli Lilly.
Researchers confirmed that the study results do not prove a direct causal relationship, stating: "Part of the effect may be due to weight loss itself and not just the medication".
Nevertheless, they emphasized the importance of these results given the widespread use of these medications, noting that "any small change in cancer rates will have a significant impact on public health", especially in light of estimates suggesting that over 137 million people in the United States may currently be using these medications.
