SGLT-2 inhibitors are beneficial in reducing the risk of thyroid cancer: findings from a Mendelian randomization study

Previous studies have investigated the association between diabetes medications and thyroid cancer, but the results have not been conclusive. This study used a Mendelian randomization approach to investigate the causal relationship between diabetes medications and thyroid cancer (TC).

Exposures were six major diabetes medications target, while outcomes were TC and its differentiated forms, including papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) and follicular thyroid carcinoma (FTC). Mendelian randomization was conducted using IVW, MR-Egger, and weighted median methods. Tests for heterogeneity, horizontal pleiotropy, and leave-one-out were also performed.

In European populations, SGLT2 inhibitors were significantly negatively associated with TC (OR 0.051, 95% CI 0.006–0.465, P = 0.0082) as well as PTC (OR 0.034, 95% CI 0.003–0.411, P = 0.0079), while no correlation was found with FTC. These findings remained consistent even after applying the Bonferroni correction.

The evidence suggests that SGLT2 inhibitors could be potential therapeutic targets for TC, especially for PTC, in European populations. However, further large-scale randomized controlled trials are necessary to verify their ability to reduce the risk of and treat these types of cancer.