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Written By: ANI | Updated : June 10, 2013 6:21 PM IST
Washington, June 10 (ANI): Researchers have said that medication known as incretin mimetics could double the risk of developing pancreatic cancer. The drug, which is more commonly known as GLP-1, regulates blood sugar and is used by doctors to treat people suffering from Type 2 diabetes. But the drug also holds back appetite, the Daily Express reported.
Now, health insurance data revealed that people taking the medication is twice as likely to be admitted to hospital with pancreatic cancer as patients taking other types of diabetic drugs. The investigation has been backed by findings from the US suggesting an increase in reports of pancreatic cancer in people taking the drug. The research from the University of California found harmful changes to the digestive system of animals given GLP-1.
Eight organ donors who took the drugs were found to have small amounts of pre-cancerous lesions, while other donors given alternative medication had none. The European Medicines Agency and the US Food and Drug Administration have launched a review of GLP-1 drugs and have said that more research needs to be done before regulators can declare them safe.
The findings have been published in the British Medical Journal.
What is diabetes?
Diabetes is a metabolic disease which is characterised by high blood sugar levels. It can be caused either due to the lack of insulin (type 1 diabetes) or because the body's cells fail to respond to the insulin produced (type 2 diabetes). Some of the common symptoms of diabetes are hunger, frequent urination and increased thirst. While type 1 diabetes is usually genetic, type 2 diabetes is caused more by lifestyle factors. It is one of the common 'lifestyle diseases' which is plaguing people in the developed countries and often has a causal link to heart diseases, hypertension and obesity.
