- Glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonists are a type of drug used to control blood sugar (sugar) levels in patients with type 2 diabetes.
- Doctors also prescribe them to overweight people with obesity or related health conditions to lose weight.
- Early research suggests that GLP-1 receptor agonists may increase the risk of thyroid cancer.
- Now, in a large Scandinavian study, patients taking GLP-1 receptor agonists have a significantly increased risk of thyroid cancer compared to those receiving other treatments for type 2 diabetes. It turned out that it didn’t.
Glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor (GLP-1) agonists are an effective treatment for controlling blood sugar levels in patients with type 2 diabetes, especially those who are unresponsive or have stopped responding to first-line therapy, such as It’s a law.
There are different versions of GLP-1 drugs, including:
They work by increasing the release of insulin, a hormone that controls blood sugar by moving blood sugar into cells, and inhibiting the release of glucagon, which releases glucose from the liver into the blood.
Clinicians also prescribe medications for weight loss in people who do not have type 2 diabetes.Both
The use of GLP-1 agonists has increased significantly since their initial approval. However, one thing I’m concerned about when it comes to drugs:
This large study shows that the risk of thyroid cancer in patients with type 2 diabetes receiving GLP-1 agonists is not significantly increased compared to patients treated with GLP-1 agonists. found.
This research
Björn Pasternak, MD, PhD, lead author and principal investigator at the Karolinska Institutet Solna Faculty of Medicine in Sweden, explained why the team conducted the study.
“With so many people taking these drugs, it is important to study the potential risks associated with them,” he said in a press release.
“Our study included a broad group of patients and provides strong support that GLP-1 analogs are not associated with increased risk of thyroid cancer,” he added.
This large cohort study used data on more than 145,000 people treated with GLP-1 agonists and approximately 292,000 people treated with DPP4 inhibitors from Norway, Sweden, and Denmark.
The GLP-1 agonists used were liraglutide (57.3%), followed by semaglutide (32.9%), dulaglutide (4.9%), exenatide (4.1%), and lixisenatide (0.9%).
The researchers followed up participants after an average of 3.9 years in the GLP-1 group and 5.4 years in the DPP4 group.
They identified thyroid cancer cases from national cancer registries. In the GLP-1 group, 76 out of 145,410 people developed thyroid cancer, and in the DPP4 group, 184 out of 291,667 people developed thyroid cancer.
From these data, the researchers derived that the relative risk increase for patients taking GLP-1 agonists was only 31%.
Mir Ali, M.D., a bariatric surgeon and medical director of MemorialCare Surgical Weight Loss Center at Orange Coast Medical Center in Fountain Valley, Calif., who was not involved in the study, said this is because taking GLP agonists explained what it means for people in
he said Today’s medical news that:
“Relative risk means the risk compared to someone who is not taking the drug. 31% is very low, indicating that the risk of developing thyroid cancer due to this drug is relatively low.”
Nevertheless, “[c]Remedies still need to be provided for patients who fall into the hereditary thyroid cancer category, such as multiple endocrine tumor syndrome, he added.
Although thyroid cancer is more common in women than men, it is still a relatively rare form of cancer.of
GLP-1 agonists have other health benefits in addition to blood sugar control and weight loss. Studies have shown that it has cardiovascular benefits, especially in obese people.
other
A recent study found that they may also help slow the progression of chronic kidney disease, which often develops in people with type 2 diabetes.
People should be aware that there are:
- Gastrointestinal symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and abdominal pain
- Injection site irritation/inflammation.
ant said MNT He said the study should reassure people, as previous concerns about the risk of thyroid cancer were based on animal studies. “I think it helps reassure people that the drug is safe and the risk of thyroid cancer is very low.”
