Drugs like Ozempic may reduce the risk of colorectal cancer

Blocking for joy.

Researchers have found that semaglutide weight loss medications such as Ozempic may reduce the risk of early colorectal cancer (CRC) in patients with diabetes.

Colon cancer has long been associated with the elderly, especially people over 65. However, colorectal cancer rates have risen steadily in adults under 50 since the 1990s.

Inspired by the troubling trend, the US Preventive Services Task Force changed its colorectal cancer screening guidelines in 2021 to lower the recommended age to start screening from 50 to 45 for average-risk adults.

On Sunday, Dawson’s Creek host James Van Der Beek announced his diagnosis of colorectal cancer at the age of 47.

In a study presented last month at the annual meeting of the American College of Gastroenterology, researchers from Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland analyzed data from nearly 2 million patients.

These patients were all under 50 years of age, had type 2 diabetes and no previous colorectal diagnosis.

Type 2 diabetes — which affects more than 34 million Americans — occurs when the body doesn’t make enough insulin or doesn’t use insulin well, resulting in high blood sugar.

Among this analyzed population, patients prescribed semaglutide treatment tended to be older, female and white, with a higher BMI (36.78 vs. 30.62) than those not taking these drugs.

A BMI of 30 or higher is considered obese, while a BMI of 40 or higher is considered very obese.

The researchers determined that those who took semaglutide had a significantly lower chance of developing colorectal cancer than those who did not, 0.4% versus 0.7%.

The study authors note that “future randomized controlled studies are needed to validate these findings, which may have important implications for the prevention of CRC in younger patients.”

Oncologists attribute the alarming rise in young people with colorectal cancer to a sedentary lifestyle, the Western diet, excessive sugar consumption and environmental factors such as pollutants in the air, soil and water.

Earlier this year, researchers found that patients with type 2 diabetes could significantly lower their risk of ten obesity-related cancers, including colorectal, if they took Ozempic instead of insulin to manage the disease.

In addition, recent studies have shown that drugs such as Wegovy and Ozempic can help fight kidney disease and may be useful in the prevention and treatment of substance abuse.

In March, Wegovy was approved to reduce the risk of stroke, heart attack and other serious cardiovascular problems in patients who are overweight or obese.

Preliminary research has also suggested that semaglutide may protect against neurodegeneration and neuroinflammation, meaning that drugs like Ozempic could potentially protect against Alzheimer’s.

Last week, a large-scale study found that medications like Ozempic and Wegovy can seriously reduce knee pain for those with moderate to severe osteoarthritis.