Popular weight-loss and diabetes medications linked to lower risk of some cancers, study finds – CTV
July 7, 2024
GLP-1 medications such as Ozempic and Wegovy may help lower the risk of certain cancers, a new study suggests.
People who are overweight or obese have a higher risk of getting 13 types of cancer, and the risk increases the longer a person is overweight and the more excess weight they gain. About 40 per cent of new cancer diagnoses are associated with excess weight, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In 2021, there were about 170 new diagnoses for every 100,000 people, CDC data shows.
But a study published Friday in the journal JAMA Network Open found that people with type 2 diabetes who were being treated with a class of GLP-1 drugs were significantly less likely to be diagnosed with 10 of the 13 obesity-associated cancers than those who were taking insulin.
