GLP-1 Use Linked to Improved Survival and Fewer Complications in patients with Diabetes and Cancer: Study
Researchers have found in a new study that adults with type 2 diabetes and cancer who used GLP-1 receptor agonists had a lower risk of death compared with those using metformin. GLP-1 use was also associated with reduced risks of hospitalization, pneumonia, cardiovascular events, and sepsis, according to findings published in The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism.
GLP- 1 RA have been reported to decrease cancer incidence, but less is known about their potential in patients with active cancer. Preclinical studies have demonstrated that GLP-1 RA inhibit progression of solid tumor malignancies via downregulation of cellular proliferation pathways and improved glycemic control. Despite these promising findings, studies characterizing the effects of GLP-1 RA in patients with active cancer are limited.
Patients with diabetes and cancer who received GLP-1 RA experienced superior survival outcomes and reduced rates of hospitalization compared to patients receiving metformin. Additionally, patients already on metformin and newly started on GLP-1 RA demonstrated superior survival outcomes compared to patients newly started on insulin. Further prospective, well-controlled studies are needed to evaluate the benefits of GLP-1 RA in patients with diabetes and cancer.
Reference:
Aditya Mahadevan, Aidan Vosooghi, Jagmeet S Arora, Ruthvik Sunil Kumar, Gagandeep Singh, Katy K Tsai, Zoe Quandt, GLP- 1 Receptor Agonists in Patients with Cancer are Associated with Reduced All-Cause Mortality and Hospitalization, The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, 2026;, dgaf703, https://doi.org/10.1210/clinem/dgaf703
