Study summary

A large six-country study found no rise in thyroid cancer with GLP-1 medicines

Six-country GLP-1 study · 98,147 people on GLP-1 medicines · Published January 2025, Thyroid

What was tested

Health records of people with type 2 diabetes in Canada, Denmark, Norway, South Korea, Sweden and Taiwan, comparing GLP-1 medicines with another diabetes drug class (DPP-4 inhibitors).

What they found

• GLP-1 use was not linked to more thyroid cancer than the comparison drug.
• Higher total doses did not raise the risk either.
• People were followed for only 1.8 to 3.0 years, too short to rule out a long-term effect.

What it means

Reassuring for short-term use. Longer follow-up is still needed.