Divergent Risks of Hematologic Malignancies Associated with GLP-1 Receptor Agonists and SGLT2 Inhibitors: Preliminary Findings from a Pilot Network Meta-Analysis.
Lin. Pao-Yen PY; Zeng. Bing-Yan BY; Hsu. Chih-Wei CW; Suen. Mein-Woei MW; Hung. Chao-Ming CM; Stubbs. Brendon B; Chen. Yen-Wen YW; Chen. Tien-Yu TY; Lei. Wei-Te WT; Chen. Jiann-Jy JJ; Zeng. Bing-Syuan BS; Su. Kuan-Pin KP; Liang. Chih-Sung CS; Tseng. Ping-Tao PT
Key Findings
- Tirzepatide was associated with a markedly reduced risk of overall hematologic malignancies (OR = 0.14, 95% CI 0.03‑0.60), particularly lymphoma.
- Dulaglutide showed a higher risk of these cancers (OR = 2.18, 95% CI 1.14‑4.19).
- SGLT2 inhibitors did not show a statistically significant impact on hematologic cancer risk.
Practical Outcomes
- For biohackers and self‑experimenters using tirzepatide for weight loss or metabolic health, the data suggest an added safety advantage regarding blood cancers, which may tip the balance in favor of tirzepatide over other GLP‑1 agonists. However, the findings are preliminary, so continued monitoring and longer‑term studies are still needed.
Summary
A big analysis of 55 trials found that the weight‑loss drug tirzepatide may actually lower the chance of getting blood cancers, especially lymphoma, while another drug, dulaglutide, might raise that risk. The study didn’t find any clear cancer risk changes for SGLT2 inhibitor drugs.
Abstract
Although glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonists and sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitors have gained attention for their broad therapeutic effects, their influence on hematologic malignancy remains underexplored. Given the high mortality associated with hematologic cancers, clarifying the impact of these agents on such malignancies is essential. This pilot network meta-analysis (NMA) aimed to assess the comparative risk of hematologic malignancies-including lymphoma, leukemia, and myeloma-associated with various GLP-1 receptor agonists and SGLT2 inhibitors. Following Cochrane-recommended confirmatory methods, we systematically searched multiple databases for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) published through 4 December 2024. The primary outcome was the incidence of overall hematologic malignancies. A frequentist random-effects NMA via the netmeta package was conducted, with additional validation through Bayesian NMA for solely sensitivity analyses. Fifty-five RCTs (<i>n</i> = 200,606) were analyzed. Dulaglutide showed a significantly higher risk of overall hematologic malignancy [odds ratio (OR) = 2.18, 95% confidence interval (95%CI) = 1.14-4.19). In contrast, tirzepatide was linked to a significantly reduced risk (OR = 0.14, 95%CI = 0.03-0.60), especially for lymphoma. No statistically significant associations were identified for SGLT2 inhibitors (i.e., 95%CI across 1.0). Our preliminary findings reveal distinct and agent-specific effects of GLP-1 receptor agonists on hematologic malignancy risk. While dulaglutide may elevate the risk, tirzepatide appears protective, particularly against lymphoma. These results call for further long-term mechanistic studies to clarify causality and underlying pathways.
Study Information
pubmed
2025
2025-11-19T00:00:00.000Z
10.3390/biom15111622
105