“GLP-1 agonists represent a major breakthrough in weight management and diabetes treatment, offering hope for those who have faced significant challenges in achieving and maintaining a healthy weight ,” she told Healthline. “They have been linked to reducing inflammation and supporting metabolic function, and this makes them more than just weight-loss aids; they are transformative tools for long-term health.”

Tulsi Sharma , MD, an assistant professor of medicine at the University of California San Francisco’s regional campus in Fresno, said this latest research bolsters the already-known benefits of these medications. Sharma wasn’t involved in the study.

The researchers said they aren’t certain why these types of GLP-1 drugs have anticancer properties, but they said the lower risk could come from mechanisms such as reducing inflammation in the body.

In their study, the scientists reported that the direct effect of the GLP-1 drugs liraglutide, exenatide, and dulaglutide was 41% more effective at preventing obesity-related cancers beyond just weight loss.

The study, conducted by researchers at Clalit Health Services in Israel, was published on May 11 in the journal eClinicalMedicine . The findings were presented at this year’s European Congress on Obesity , May 11–14 in Malaga, Spain.

A new study indicates that certain GLP-1 weight-loss drugs can help reduce the risk of obesity-related cancers.

The Clalit Health Services researchers analyzed the health records of 6,356 people.

The subjects were at least 24 years old with obesity and type 2 diabetes. None of them had a prior history of cancer.

Just over 60% of the participants were female. The average age was 52, and the mean body mass index (BMI) was 41.5, above the minimum threshold of 30 for obesity.

Half of the subjects were treated with one of the GLP-1 drugs for at least 6 months, and the other half had bariatric surgery. The time period for these treatments was 2010 to 2018.

The participants had a mean follow-up period of more than 7 years.

In all, 298 participants were diagnosed with obesity-related cancer within the follow-up period. There were 150 cancer diagnoses in the group that had bariatric surgery and 148 in the group that took the GLP-1 drugs.

The researchers said the similar results in both groups indicates that the anti-cancer benefits of these GLP-1 medications extends beyond the benefits of weight loss alone.

The scientists acknowledged that their research is an observational study and future randomized trials and larger studies need to be conducted.

Sun Kim, MD, an associate professor of medicine at Stanford University in California, said that she would have liked a third “control” group added to the study who did not take GLP-1 drugs or had bariatric surgery. Kim wasn’t involved in the new study.

She also noted that 65% of the group who underwent surgery were using insulin, while only 9% of participants taking GLP-1 drugs were using insulin.