The use of LPG1 agonists is associated with a reduction in the general cancer risk. This is what is concluded from a study published on Wednesday the scientific journal the study, conducted with the data of more than 86,000 obese or overweight adults for 10 years, compared the medical records of patients who had been taking these anti -obesity drugs (known for their commercial names such as Ozempic or Wegovy) with patients who would not have undergone their treatment. The incidence rates of the 14 types of cancer studied were 13.6 compared to 16.4 respectively, indicating a global risk of significantly lower cancer among people who took LPG-1. This was especially evident in the cancers of endometrium, ovary and meningioma.
The study is important, but to some extent expected. It demonstrates with statistical data something that could be inferred with a simple cause-effect. GLP-1 agonists involve weight losses of up to 20% in 72 weeks. On the other hand, obesity is a risk factor for at least 13 types of cancer (the present study analyzed all these more lung cancer). He concluded that obesity multiplies by 12 the risk of cancer in women, doubling the risk in men. The effect that Ozempic could have and other similar drugs is not, therefore, surprising. Reduces obesity and with it the risk of suffering certain types of cancer.
However, not all are good news. The use of these medications may be associated with a higher risk of kidney cancer, says the study, although it qualifies it as “insignificant.” “This highlights the need for a longer term follow -up to clarify the underlying mechanisms and the clinical implications of these findings,” explain the authors, of the University of Indiana. Another surprise was to see a reduction in lung cancer rates. It was not significant (1.6 every thousand people among users compared to 2.03 for not users), but could point to the role that these drugs can have in addiction management, as many users have not only looked like using them using them, but of smoking.
The study is relevant for the quantity and quality of your data. All the patients studied were eligible to receive treatment with GLP1 agonists, so they had similar obesity rates. They had no history of cancer, their Middle Ages was 52 years and 68% were women. The authors celebrate the data achieved in this epidemiological study, but warn that it is necessary to investigate, at the medical level, the relationship between cancer and these drugs.
Scientists continue to discover new ways of acting for LPG-1. Originally designed to regulate insulin production, they later emerged as powerful appetite suppressors. Different studies have also pointed out that they have a crucial role in addiction control. He has shown that they stop the accumulation of fat and liver fibrosis. They also reduce inflammation, and this could explain the results of this new study. Inflammation could be a determining factor in cancers related to obesity.
Obesity already affects more than one billion people, according to figures from the World Health Organization. A study published last year was convinced that excess weight is the most common form of malnutrition in most countries: cases in children have quadrupled in three decades and in adults, they have almost tripled.
