Patients using GLP-1 receptor agonists for type 2 diabetes have lower odds of colorectal cancer than those who take other medications such as metformin, insulin and SGLT-2 inhibitors, a US study shows.

“To our knowledge, this is the first indication this popular weight-loss and anti-diabetic class of drugs reduces incidence of colorectal cancer, relative to other anti-diabetic agents,” said co-lead author Dr Rong Xu (PhD) from Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio.