Beyond Weight Loss: Other Benefits of Ozempic and Wegovy.

February 7, 2025 / Tobiloba

Beyond Weight Loss: Other Health Benefits of Ozempic and Wegovy

You’ve probably heard of GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy if you’ve been following the weight reduction trend. These medications have grown in acceptance for their ability to help patients lose weight, but now scientists are finding that they may also have the unexpected advantage of lowering the risk of cancer. Yes, you read correctly!

According to a recent study in JAMA Network Open, individuals with Type 2 diabetes treated with GLP-1 drugs had a lower risk of obesity-related malignancies than those treated with insulin or metformin. This brings up a few interesting questions regarding these medications’ potential uses beyond weight loss. Let’s examine the specifics.

What Types of Cancer Were Affected?

This study wasn’t small—it analyzed over a decade of data from more than 1.5 million people with Type 2 diabetes. Researchers focused on 13 cancers linked to obesity, including:

Breast
Colorectal
Endometrial
Kidney
Ovarian
Pancreatic
Thyroid
Esophageal
Gallbladder
Stomach
Liver (Hepatocellular carcinoma)
Meningioma
Multiple myeloma

Here’s the eye-catching part: for those on GLP-1 drugs, the risk of gallbladder cancer, meningioma, pancreatic cancer, and liver cancer was cut in half. Even better? The risk of several other cancers—including colorectal, ovarian, and kidney cancer—was significantly reduced too. And most importantly, taking GLP-1 drugs did not increase the likelihood of getting cancer.

The results suggest that GLP-1 drugs may provide cancer prevention, however, the precise mechanism is still unknown. Is weight loss its sole cause? Or are these drugs special in some way that influences the development of cancer directly? That’s what scientists are attempting to determine.

How Do Medicines That Address GLP-1 Function?

The hormone that affects the brain, stomach, pancreas, liver, and muscles is imitated by GLP-1 drugs such as Ozempic and Wegovy. What they do is as follows:

Help the body produce insulin to regulate blood sugar
Slow down digestion, keeping you fuller for longer
Reduce appetite, leading to weight loss
Improve metabolic functions
Lower inflammation levels

These medications contain semaglutide and are usually taken as a weekly injection. Despite being FDA-approved for Type 2 diabetes, Ozempic is often prescribed off-label for weight loss by doctors. Conversely, Wegovy has FDA approval expressly for weight control. According to study results, users can gradually reduce their body weight by 5% to 20%.

Interestingly, GLP-1 drugs have demonstrated potential in several health domains besides weight loss. They may help cut the risk of stroke, enhance heart health, and even lessen the symptoms of sadness and anxiety, according to certain research. This suggests that the broad advantages of many drugs may surpass their initial intended use.

3. Why Could These Medicines Lower the Risk of Cancer?

Things start to become interesting at this point. Although the precise process by which GLP-1 drugs reduce the incidence of cancer is yet unknown, scientists have various theories:

Weight Loss: Losing extra weight may naturally reduce the risk of developing some types of cancer, as obesity is a significant risk factor for some cancers.
Hormonal & Metabolic Changes: GLP-1 drugs affect inflammation, cell growth, and insulin levels, all of which could have an impact on the development of cancer.
Direct Impact on Tumors? Although further research is required, several studies indicate that certain medications may directly affect the formation of tumors.

It’s also possible that these medications change gut microbiome, which in turn affects cancer risk. Inflammation, immunological response, and even hormone production—all of which are associated with cancer—are significantly influenced by the bacteria in our digestive systems. According to some experts, GLP-1 drugs may change the gut microbiota in a way that lowers the risk of cancer.
This study suggests a possible link, but it does not prove that GLP-1 drugs prevent cancer. To investigate this further, researchers are now calling for larger, random experiments.

4. Are There Any Concerns to Take Into Account?

Naturally, no drug is flawless. GLP-1 medications have some adverse effects despite their remarkable advantages. Among the most popular are:

Nausea
Constipation
Digestive discomfort

But there are also less frequent but more dangerous threats, like pancreatic and gallbladder illness. Long-term usage of these medications may cause muscle loss, according to some research, which is concerning for elderly people or those who are already at risk of frailty. Because of this, it’s important to keep an eye on your health while taking these medications and make sure you’re eating a healthy diet and exercising regularly.

These medications are also costly, and getting insurance coverage can be difficult. Since they were first created to treat diabetes, many people who wish to use them to lose weight have trouble getting insurance approval. Many people who could benefit from the medications may not be able to get them due to the financial demand.

Conclusion

The Bottom Line

While GLP-1 drugs are already game-changers in the weight loss and diabetes world, this new research suggests they might also help reduce the risk of certain cancers. That’s a pretty big deal! But before we start calling them a miracle drug, scientists need more data to confirm exactly how these medications impact cancer risk.

GLP-1 drugs may be employed as a cancer prevention treatment for high-risk individuals if further study validates this link. It’s a fascinating notion to think of a world in which the drugs you use to lose weight simultaneously shield you from dangerous illnesses like pancreatic or liver cancer.

For the time being, it’s worthwhile to discuss the advantages and disadvantages of Ozempic and Wegovy in detail with your health care provider. Because every body is unique, what works for one individual may not work for another.