Weight-loss drugs' impact on cancer risk revealed in new study
Obesity is a known risk factor for certain types of cancers, and has also been shown to impact cancer survival.
Obesity-related cancers include multiple myeloma, meningioma, adenocarcinoma of esophagus; stomach, colorectal, liver or bile duct, gallbladder, pancreas, uterus, ovary, renal-cell kidney, thyroid, and postmenopausal breast cancer, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Semaglutide Found To Have Shocking Benefit For Liver Disease Patients In New Study
Researchers at Clalit Health Services in Tel Aviv, Israel, conducted an observational study of the medical records of 6,356 participants aged 24 and older who had obesity and diabetes, with no history of obesity-related cancer.
Between 2010 and 2018, half of the participants took GLP-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1 RAs) — injectable medications for obesity and type 2 diabetes — with at least six drug purchases within 12 months. The other half underwent bariatric metabolic surgery (BMS).
Read On The Fox News App
After adjusting for other factors, the researchers determined that ORC occurred in 5.62 cases per 1,000 person-years in those who had the surgery, and in 5.89 cases per 1,000 person-years among those who took GLP-1s.
Overall, the study determined that "the direct effect of GLP1-RAs compared to BMS on the risk for ORC beyond their effects on weight-loss is estimated as 41% relative risk reduction."
Here's Why Belly Fat Is More Common As We Age, And 3 Ways To Prevent It
The findings were published in the journal eClinicalMedicine.
"The results point at the existence of additional pathways beyond weight loss in which GLP-1RAs contribute to the decreased risk for obesity-related cancer," lead study author Yael Wolff Sagy, PhD, head of research at Clalit Health Services, told Fox News Digital.
Niketa Patel, professor of molecular medicine with the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine in Tampa, Florida, noted that obesity is associated with chronic inflammation.
"GLP1-RAs are shown to reduce inflammation and thus decrease the risk of developing ORC," she told Fox News Digital. (Patel was not involved in the study.)
"Bottom line: Obesity can cause certain cancers, and treatment of obesity with GLP1-RA reduces the risk of only obesity-related cancers."
Dr. Britta Reierson, MD, medical director of knownwell, a provider of metabolic health services, said there are several ways in which GLP-1 RAs could have cancer mitigation properties.
"First, the anti-inflammatory properties of these medications address a known risk factor for various cancers," the Minnesota-based doctor, who also was not part of the research, told Fox News Digital.
"Second, the metabolic regulation and improvement in metabolic health from these medications, including lowering blood glucose levels and decreasing insulin resistance, can reduce cancer risk."
Emerging evidence also suggests that GLP-1 RAs may have direct anti-tumor effects, Reierson noted — "potentially through modulation of immune responses and epigenetic changes (changes that occur to gene expression and are passed down to future generations)."
First Glp-1 Pill For Weight Loss, Diabetes Shows Success In Late-phase Trial
Research suggests that GLP-1 medications help reduce inflammation not just through weight loss, but also in other organs of the body, such as the heart, according to Dr. Susan Savery, MD, a board-certified obesity medicine and primary care physician with PlushCare, a virtual health platform offering primary care, therapy and weight management services.
"Over time, chronic inflammation can be a risk factor for cancer development, as it may damage cell DNA," San Francisco-based Savery, who was not involved in the study, told Fox News Digital.
"Our fat cells (adipose tissue) naturally produce inflammatory cells, and GLP-1 medications, similar to bariatric surgery, help reduce this inflammation by decreasing the amount of adipose tissue through weight loss."
The study did have some limitations, the researchers acknowledged.
"First, it is an observational study. It means that our comparison groups (persons who had surgery versus those who received GLP1-RAs) may still have some residual differences, despite our methodological efforts," Sagy told Fox News Digital.
"However, only this type of real-life observational study can provide the long follow-up period that is necessary to evaluate the risk of developing cancer, which often has very long latency periods."
Another limitation is that the primary drug included in the study was liraglutide (Saxenda, Victoza), with smaller numbers of people taking exenatide (Byetta) and dulaglutide (Trulicity).
"It will be important to evaluate the comparative effectiveness of the newer GLP1-RA drugs, which are expected to have a larger effect," Sagy said.
"Although the direction of the results is promising, we should wait and see if and how clinical guidelines will consider it."
Click Here To Sign Up For Our Health Newsletter
Reierson agreed that much more research is needed before GLP-1 RAs could ever be considered as cancer prevention options.
"Larger, randomized, controlled trials are necessary to confirm the observed effects and better understand the underlying mechanisms," she said.
"It will also be important to investigate the impact of GLP-1 RAs on different types of cancer and assess the long-term safety and potential side effects of using GLP-1 RAs as a cancer therapy."
Savery agrees that it's likely too early to predict FDA approval for cancer therapy, but noted that "weight reduction plays an important role in cancer prevention, and GLP-1s seem to offer an additional benefit through inflammation reduction."
For more Health articles, visit www.foxnews.com/health
While GLP-1 RAs are "wonderful tools" that can support people on weight-loss journeys, Savery pointed out that maintaining a healthy lifestyle through nutritious eating and regular physical activity is "the foundation for cancer prevention and better overall health."Original article source: Weight-loss drugs' impact on cancer risk revealed in new study
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Hims & Hers Stock Nosedives After Q2 Revenue Miss Despite 73% Growth
Aug 5 - Hims & Hers Health (NYSE:HIMS) shares took a hit on Tuesday, dropping more than 10% in early trading. The telehealth company missed Wall Street's Q2 revenue expectations, even though it posted impressive growth. Warning! GuruFocus has detected 5 Warning Sign with HIMS. Revenue jumped 73% year-over-year to $544.8 million, but still fell short of the expected $552 million. On the earnings front, adjusted EPS came in at 17 cents, beating the 15 cents estimate. The company also delivered $82 million in adjusted EBITDA, more than doubling from last year's $39.3 million. Despite the strong profit metrics, investors remained cautious, likely due to revenue miss and ongoing concerns tied to its compounded GLP-1 offerings. Hims & Hers continues to face scrutiny for distributing cheaper, unapproved versions of popular diabetes and weight-loss drugs. The FDA had previously resolved supply issues, yet some telehealth players, including Hims, keep offering personalized doses. For Q3, the company guides revenue between $570 million$590 million, in line with expectations, but EBITDA guidance ($60M$70M) fell short of StreetAccount's $77.1 million forecast. Hims will need to convince investors that fast growth won't be overshadowed by regulatory headwinds. Is HIMS Stock a Buy Now? Based on the one year price targets offered by 13 analysts, the average target price for Hims & Hers Health Inc is $48.49 with a high estimate of $85.00 and a low estimate of $28.00. The average target implies a downside of -23.46% from the current price of $63.35. Based on GuruFocus estimates, the estimated GF Value for Hims & Hers Health Inc in one year is $36.01, suggesting a downside of -43.16% from the current price of $63.35. Gf value is Gurufocus' estimate of the fair value that the stock should be traded at. It is calculated based on the historical multiples the stock has traded at previously, as well as past business growth and the future estimates of the business' performance. For deeper insights, visit the forecast page. This article first appeared on GuruFocus. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
NBC News
an hour ago
- NBC News
Florida officials warn about risks of drinking raw milk after 21 infections
Florida officials are warning the public about the risks of consuming raw milk after over 20 people have gotten sick. Thus far, there have been 21 cases of Campylobacter and Shiga toxin-producing E. coli infections linked to raw milk from the same farm, the Florida Department of Health said Monday. Of those, six have been in children under the age of 10. There have been seven reported hospitalizations and at least two cases reported severe complications, health officials said. The infections occurred in north and central Florida. "Sanitation practices in this farm are of particular concern due to the number of cases," the department said, without naming the farm in question. "Floridians are encouraged to use this information to make informed decisions about their health and sources of raw milk should they choose to consume it." Raw milk is milk that has not been pasteurized — meaning it hasn't gone through a heat-treating process that destroys bacteria. Drinking raw milk or its products can expose people to germs, including Campylobacter, Escherichia coli (E. coli), Listeria, Salmonella, and other types of bacteria, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Campylobacter can make people ill with diarrhea, and Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC) is one type of which can cause bloody diarrhea, severe stomach cramps, and abdominal vomiting, according to the CDC. STEC bacteria in the most severe form and can also result in hemolytic uremic syndrome, which can lead to kidney failure and is particularly concerning for children and groups with weaker immune systems, the Florida Department of Health said. In Florida, raw milk can only be sold for non-human consumption, such as pet food, and containers of raw milk sold in the Sunshine State must be clearly labeled that the raw milk is for animal consumption only. The news release noted that many people do consume raw milk safely, but "the producer's handling of raw milk and milking procedures are vital in the prevention of contamination." Raw milk has grown in popularity in recent years, including by Robert F. Kennedy Jr, who heads the Department of Health and Human Services. Last year on X, Kennedy criticized the Food and Drug Administration's "aggressive suppression" of raw milk. However, since Kennedy took over HHS, there haven't been meaningful changes to federal policy regarding raw milk. The U.S. Food & Drug Administration strongly supports milk pasteurization and notes that since 1987, there have been at least 143 reported outbreaks of illness associated with the consumption of raw milk and raw milk products contaminated with bacteria. Today, 20 states prohibit intrastate raw milk sales.
CNBC
an hour ago
- CNBC
UBS downgrades Novo Nordisk, cites 'rapidly deteriorating growth' in GLP-1 market
Novo Nordisk is in a tough spot as Ozempic sales lag behind Eli Lilly 's rival anti-obesity drugs, according to UBS. Analyst Matthew Weston downgraded the Danish pharmaceutical giant to neutral from buy, and slashed his 12-month price target some 43%, to about $52.55 from nearly $93 previously. The new objective implies roughly 8% upside from Novo's Monday close in the U.S. of $48.81. Westin's believes Novo Nordisk's Ozempic semaglutide injection will not be able to regain market leadership to rival let alone beat Lilly in the GLP-1 space. Novo Nordisk's market share loss comes even as it has a more comprehensive product compared to peers, which he said likely signals poor commercial execution and a greater preference for tirzepatide from doctors and patients. Tirzepatide is the active ingredient in Eli Lilly's Mounjaro and Zepbound weight loss injections. "The rapidly deteriorating growth profile at Novo gives us limited confidence in the growth outlook for its GLP-1 portfolio, which comes with significant concentration risk," Weston wrote in a 29-page report to clients published Tuesday. "Despite there being a significant unmet medical need and anti obesity medication only recently launched, Novo has not been able to build on its market-leading position, and growth for its GLP-1 portfolio has stagnated." Novo Nordisk American depositary receipts have plummeted more than 43% this year. The company on June 29 named a new CEO and slashed its full-year guidance , citing weaker growth expectations for its Wegovy obesity drug in the U.S. NVO 1Y mountain Novo Nordisk performance over the past year. Weston cited several reasons to no longer be a buyer of Novo Nordisk stock, including: Expectations that GLP-1 compounders leave an uncertain outlook for U.S. Wegovy sales The lack of commercial execution of its GLP-1 products and lack of uptake in insured channels leading to slowing sales growth Ozempic "plateaued early" even with its brand recognition, and Eli Lilly's Mounjaro has received a stronger reception from doctors President Donald Trump's proposal to reimburse for GLP-1 obesity treatments through Medicare could support growth, but demands to offer U.S. sales at European prices could "significantly reduce value" Longer term, although Weston anticipates Novo Nordisk's Ozempic will lose market share to Eli Lilly, he still sees little threat to Novo's leadership in the diabetes market given its portfolio of insulin drugs and innovation in the incretin space.
