Drugs like Ozempic may lower cancer risk if you have diabetes: study
Excess body weight can raise the risk of certain cancers, leading researchers to wonder whether blockbuster drugs like Wegovy, Ozempic and Zepbound could play a role in cancer prevention.
Now, a study of 170,000 patient records suggests there's a slightly lower risk of obesity-related cancers in U.S. adults with diabetes who took these popular medications compared to those who took another class of diabetes drug not associated with weight loss.
This type of study can't prove cause and effect, but the findings hint at a connection worth exploring. More than a dozen cancers are associated with obesity.
'This is a call to scientists and clinical investigators to do more work in this area to really prove or disprove this,' said Dr. Ernest Hawk of MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, who was not involved in the study.
The findings were released Thursday by the American Society of Clinical Oncology and will be discussed at its annual meeting in Chicago. The study, funded by the National Institutes of Health, was led by Lucas Mavromatis, a medical student at New York University's Grossman School of Medicine.
Story continues below advertisement
1:54
GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic, Wegovy reduce Alzheimer's risk for those with diabetes
'Chronic disease and chronic disease prevention are some of my passions,' said Mavromatis, a former research fellow with an NIH training program.
Get weekly health news
Receive the latest medical news and health information delivered to you every Sunday. Sign up for weekly health newsletter Sign Up
By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy
GLP-1 receptor agonists are injections used to treat diabetes, and some are also approved to treat obesity. They work by mimicking hormones in the gut and the brain to regulate appetite and feelings of fullness. They don't work for everyone and can produce side effects that include nausea and stomach pain.
In the study, researchers analyzed data from 43 U.S. health systems to compare two groups: people with obesity and diabetes who took GLP-1 drugs and other people with the same conditions who took diabetes drugs like sitagliptin. The two groups were equal in size and matched for other characteristics.
After four years, those who took GLP-1 drugs had a 7% lower risk of developing an obesity-related cancer and an 8% lower risk of death from any cause compared to those who took the other type of diabetes drug. There were 2,501 new cases of obesity-related cancer in the GLP-1 group compared to 2,671 cases in the other group.
Story continues below advertisement
The effect was evident in women, but not statistically significant in men. The study couldn't explain that difference, but Mavromatis noted that differences in blood drug concentration, weight loss, metabolism or hormones could be at play.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
CBC
4 hours ago
- CBC
Ozempic, Mounjaro linked to vision loss in diabetics
Researchers at the University of Toronto have found GLP-1 weight loss and diabetes drugs like Ozempic and Mounjaro double the risk of a severe form of vision loss among diabetics, affecting daily activities such as reading and driving.
Toronto Sun
2 days ago
- Toronto Sun
'Very rare' Ozempic link to vision loss, EU drug regulator finds
Eye condition NAION occurs when a loss of blood flow damages the optic nerve Published Jun 06, 2025 • 1 minute read Ozempic injection pens. Photo by Carsten Snejbjerg / Bloomberg Reviews and recommendations are unbiased and products are independently selected. Postmedia may earn an affiliate commission from purchases made through links on this page. Patients taking weight-loss medicines such as Novo Nordisk A/S's Ozempic and Wegovy are at risk of developing an eye condition that can cause vision loss, according to Europe's drug regulator. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account The European Medicines Agency's safety committee found that an eye condition called NAION is a 'very rare' side effect of semaglutide, a key ingredient in diabetes and obesity drugs. It could affect as many as 1 in 10,000 people taking the medicines, it said Friday, adding that product labels must now be updated. The Danish Medicines Agency had asked the EMA to review two studies — conducted independently — that found people with type 2 diabetes who took Ozempic faced more than twice the risk of developing the eye condition. The semaglutide link was first suggested last year in a Harvard University study. 'If patients experience a sudden loss of vision or rapidly worsening eyesight during treatment with semaglutide, they should contact their doctor without delay,' the EMA said in a statement. NAION occurs when a loss of blood flow damages the optic nerve, and is most common in people over the age of 50. Though rare, the eye condition is irreversible, untreatable and potentially blinding, and doctors have said that patients should be informed of a possible risk. Sunshine Girls Sunshine Girls Toronto & GTA Toronto & GTA Olympics
Global News
2 days ago
- Global News
Ozempic, Wegovy linked to rare cases of eye disorder, EMA says
The European Medicines Agency's safety committee has concluded that the use of Novo Nordisk's popular weight-loss drug Wegovy and its treatments for type 2 diabetes may cause rare occurrences of a potentially dangerous eye condition. Called non-arteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy (NAION), the condition may affect up to 1 in 10,000 people taking semaglutide, the active ingredient in Wegovy and Novo's diabetes drugs Ozempic and Rybelsus, the regulator said on Friday. The EMA, which started its review in December, said the use of the drugs is linked to about twofold increase in the risk of developing the condition compared to people not taking the medicine. NAION develops from insufficient blood flow to the optic nerve and causes sudden painless vision loss in one eye. It is the second most common cause of blindness due to optic nerve damage, after glaucoma. Story continues below advertisement 1:54 GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic, Wegovy reduce Alzheimer's risk for those with diabetes Studies have linked semaglutide to NAION in the past. But this is the first time a regulator has made the link. Get weekly health news Receive the latest medical news and health information delivered to you every Sunday. Sign up for weekly health newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy Semaglutide belongs to a class of drugs known as GLP-1 receptor agonists, which work by helping control blood sugar levels and triggering a feeling of fullness. A large study of nearly 350,000 diabetics published earlier this year had showed that the risk of developing NAION more than doubled after long-term use of semaglutide, compared to patients taking medicines from other classes. The EMA said it has reviewed all available data on NAION with semaglutide, including data from non-clinical studies, clinical trials and post-marketing surveillance. It has recommended the drugmaker to update prescribing information for medicines containing semaglutide to include NAION as a side effect with a frequency of 'very rare.' Story continues below advertisement The U.S. Food and Drug Administration did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment.
