Latest news with #LucasMavromatis
Medscape
3 days ago
- Health
- Medscape
Can GLP-1s Protect Against Obesity-Related Cancers?
New data suggest that glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1) receptor agonists, used to treat diabetes and obesity, may also help guard against obesity-related cancers. In a large observational study, new GLP-1 agonist users with obesity and diabetes had a significantly lower risk for 14 obesity-related cancers than similar individuals who received dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP-4) inhibitors, which are weight-neutral. This study provides a 'reassuring safety signal' showing that GLP-1 drugs are linked to a modest drop in obesity-related cancer risk, and not a higher risk for these cancers, said lead investigator Lucas Mavromatis, medical student at NYU Grossman School of Medicine in New York City, during a press conference at American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) 2025 annual meeting. However, there were some nuances to the findings. The protective effect of GLP-1 agonists was only significant for colon and rectal cancers and for women, Mavromatis reported. And although GLP-1 users had an 8% lower risk of dying from any cause, the survival benefit was also only significant for women. Still, the overall 'message to patients is GLP-1 receptor treatments remain a strong option for patients with diabetes and obesity and may have an additional, small favorable benefit in cancer,' Mavromatis explained at the press briefing. 'Intriguing Hypothesis' Obesity is linked to an increased risk of developing more than a dozen cancer types, including esophageal, colon, rectal, stomach, liver, gallbladder, pancreatic, kidney, postmenopausal breast, ovarian, endometrial and thyroid, as well as multiple myeloma and meningiomas. About 12% of Americans have been prescribed a GLP-1 medication to treat diabetes and/or obesity. However, little is known about how these drugs affect cancer risk. To investigate, Mavromatis and colleagues used the Optum healthcare database to identify 170,030 adults with obesity and type 2 diabetes from 43 health systems in the United States. Between 2013 and 2023, half started a GLP-1 agonist and half started a DPP-4 inhibitor, with propensity score matching used to balance characteristics of the two cohorts. Participants were a mean age of 56.8 years, with an average body mass index of 38.5; more than 70% were White individuals and more than 14% were Black individuals. During a mean follow-up of 3.9 years, 2501 new obesity-related cancers were identified in the GLP-1 group and 2671 in the DPP-4 group — representing a 7% overall reduced risk for any obesity-related cancer in the GLP-1 group (hazard ratio [HR], 0.93). When analyzing each of the 14 obesity-related cancers separately, the protective link between GLP-1 use and cancer was primarily driven by colon and rectal cancers. GLP-1 users had a 16% lower risk for colon cancer (HR, 0.84) and a 28% lower risk for rectal cancer (HR, 0.72). 'No other cancers had statistically significant associations with GLP-1 use,' Mavromatis told briefing attendees. But 'importantly, no cancers had statistically significant adverse associations with GLP-1 use,' he added. Experts have expressed some concern about a possible link between GLP-1 use and pancreatic cancer given that pancreatitis is a known side effect of GLP-1 use. However, 'this is not borne out by epidemiological data,' Mavromatis said. 'Additionally, we were not able to specifically assess medullary thyroid cancer, which is on the warning label for several GLP-1 medications, but we did see a reassuring lack of association between GLP-1 use and thyroid cancer as a whole,' he added. During follow-up, there were 2783 deaths in the GLP-1 group and 2961 deaths in the DPP-4 group — translating to an 8% lower risk for death due to any cause among GLP-1 users (HR, 0.92; P = .001). Mavromatis and colleagues observed sex differences as well. Women taking a GLP-1 had an 8% lower risk for obesity-related cancers (HR, 0.92; P = .01) and a 20% lower risk for death from any cause (HR, 0.80; P < .001) compared with women taking a DPP-4 inhibitor. Among men, researchers found no statistically significant difference between GLP-1 and DPP-4 use for obesity-related cancer risk (HR, 0.95; P = .29) or all-cause mortality (HR, 1.04; P = .34). Overall, Mavromatis said, it's important to note that the absolute risk reduction seen in the study is 'small and the number of patients that would need to be given one of these medications to prevent an obesity-related cancer, based on our data, would be very large.' Mavromatis also noted that the length of follow-up was short, and the study assessed primarily older and weaker GLP-1 agonists compared with newer agents on the market. Therefore, longer-term studies with newer GLP-1s are needed to confirm the effects seen as well as safety. In a statement, ASCO President Robin Zon, MD, said this trial raises the 'intriguing hypothesis' that the increasingly popular GLP-1 medications might offer some benefit in reducing the risk of developing cancer. Zon said she sees many patients with obesity, and given the clear link between cancer and obesity, defining the clinical role of GLP-1 medications in cancer prevention is 'important.' This study 'leads us in the direction' of a potential protective effect of GLP-1s on cancer, but 'there are a lot of questions that are generated by this particular study, especially as we move forward and we think about prevention of cancers,' Zon told the briefing.
Asharq Al-Awsat
23-05-2025
- Health
- Asharq Al-Awsat
Weight-Loss Drugs May Lower Cancer Risk in People with Diabetes, a Study Suggests
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 US 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. 'Chronic disease and chronic disease prevention are some of my passions,' said Mavromatis, a former research fellow with an NIH training program. 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 US 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. 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.
GMA Network
22-05-2025
- Health
- GMA Network
GLP-1 diabetes drugs like Ozempic may modestly reduce cancer risks
A box of Ozempic and contents sit on a table in Dudley, North Tyneside, Britain. REUTERS/Lee Smith/File photo Widely used GLP-1 drugs for type 2 diabetes such as Novo Nordisk's Ozempic may modestly reduce the risk of obesity-related cancers, especially colorectal cancer, according to data released on Thursday ahead of a major medical meeting. Among more than 85,000 people with type 2 diabetes and obesity treated between 2013 and 2023 and followed for an average of nearly four years, 2,501 obesity-related cancers developed in those taking GLP-1 diabetes drugs, compared with 2,671 such cancers in those treating their diabetes with drugs from a class known as DPP-4 inhibitors. After accounting for individual risk factors, those taking 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 a DPP-4 inhibitor, a brief summary of data to be presented at the upcoming American Society of Clinical Oncology meeting in Chicago showed. The effect was only statistically significant in women, researchers said. Other GLP-1 drugs for improving blood glucose control taken by patients in the study include Eli Lilly's rulicity and Novo's Victoza and Rybelsus, among others. These drugs deliver a lower dose of their main ingredient compared to GLP-1 drugs designed to induce weight loss. DPP-4 inhibitors include Merck & Co's Januvia and Nesina from Takeda Pharmaceuticals 4502.T. While a modestly reduced risk for 14 obesity-related cancers was evident with GLP-1 drugs, the suggestion of a protective effect was particularly strong for colorectal malignancies. There were 16% fewer colon cancer cases and 28% fewer rectal cancer cases in the group prescribed GLP-1 receptor agonists. Observational studies like this cannot prove that the GLP-1 drugs caused lower cancer rates. "These data are reassuring, but more studies are required to prove causation," lead study author Lucas Mavromatis, a medical student at the NYU Grossman School of Medicine in New York, said in a statement. — Reuters
Daily Mail
22-05-2025
- Health
- Daily Mail
Shocking new link discovered between Ozempic and CANCER
Game-changing weight loss jabs could help ward off up to 14 types of cancer, world-leading experts suggest. Mounjaro, Ozempic and other fat-melting injections have ushered in a new era in the war on obesity, but have also been linked to other health benefits, such as slashing the risk of heart attacks, strokes and kidney disease. Now scientists have discovered the drugs could reduce the risk of a range weight-related cancers including hard to diagnose types such as of pancreatic, kidney and ovarian. The breakthrough research found the jabs were most effective at slashing the risk of colon and rectal cancers specifically. Both have seen a disturbing rises in cases in the under 50s in recent years baffling doctors around the globe. American scientists, who carried out the trial, said the findings show the drugs have a 'preventative effect' in people at higher risk of these 14 diseases. However, they cautioned further research was necessary to confirm their findings. Researchers also didn't speculate why the drugs, which belong to class of medications called GLP-1 agonists, might lower a patient's chances of cancer. Lucas Mavromatis, an expert in obesity at NYU Grossman School of Medicine in New York and study lead author, said: 'Although obesity is now recognized as an increasingly important cause of cancer in the United States and worldwide, no medications have been proven to lower the cancer risk associated with obesity. 'Our study begins to fill that gap by evaluating GLP-1 receptor agonists, a relatively new but widely prescribed medication that treats diabetes, obesity, and related conditions. 'Our results suggest they may modestly cut the chance of developing certain cancers—especially cancers of the colon and rectum—and reduce rates of death due to all causes. 'These data are reassuring, but more studies are required to prove causation.' In the study, researchers studied data from more than 170,000 obese patients with diabetes, aged 57 on average. Over a follow-up of a decade, they compared the cancer risk among patients on GLP-1 agonists against those on DDP-4 inhibitors, another diabetes medication. The 14 cancers assessed included oesophageal, colon, rectum, stomach, liver, gallbladder, pancreas, kidney and post-menopausal breast. Ovarian, endometrium and thyroid, as well as multiple myeloma and meningiomas, were the others. They found those on GLP-1s had a 7 per cent lower risk of developing an obesity-related cancer than patients on DDP-4 inhibitors. When other health benefits were factored in, these patients were also 8 per cent less likely to die over the 10-year period. Overall the biggest reduction was seen for colon (16 per cent) and rectal (28 per cent) cancers. These benefits were greater among women compared to men, with obese females on GLP-1s recording an 8 per cent lower risk of obesity-related cancer and 20 per cent lower risk of all causes of death compared to women treated with DDP-4 inhibitors. The findings will be presented in full next week at the American Society for Clinical Oncology (ASCO) conference in Chicago. Dr Robin Zon, ASCO president, said: 'This trial raises an intriguing hypothesis: that the increasingly popular GLP-1 medications used to treat diabetes and obesity might offer some benefit in reducing the risk of developing cancer. 'I see many patients with obesity, and given the clear link between cancer and obesity, defining the clinical role of GLP-1 medications in cancer prevention is important. 'Though this trial does not establish causation, it hints that these drugs might have a preventative effect. 'Future research is needed to validate these findings, including in patients who do not have diabetes.' The jabs were originally developed as a diabetes treatment, but in recent years has become one of the world's most in-demand weight-loss drugs, with a host of celebrities—including Elon Musk and Boris Johnson—revealing they take it in a bid to slim down. At least half a million NHS patients and some 15million in the US are now thought to be using weight loss jabs, which can help patients lose up to 20 per cent of their bodyweight in just a few months. Obesity itself increases the chances of person suffering serious health conditions that can damage the heart, such as high blood pressure, as well as cancers. Around two in three adults in the UK are obese or overweight, giving the country one of the highest obesity rates in Europe. In the US, the figure stands at almost 75 per cent.
The Independent
22-05-2025
- Health
- The Independent
Weight-loss drugs may lower cancer risk in people with diabetes, a study suggests
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. 'Chronic disease and chronic disease prevention are some of my passions,' said Mavromatis, a former research fellow with an NIH training program. 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. 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. ___ The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute's Science and Educational Media Group and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content.
