• Type 2 diabetes patients on GLP-1 treatments, such as Ozempic, have a lower risk of 10 obesity-related cancers compared to those on insulin and other drugs, according to a new study.
• GLP-1 treatments for type 2 diabetes have been on the market for nearly 20 years, improving blood sugar control and inducing weight loss.
• Ozempic, approved in 2017, was one of the first in its class.

Patients with type 2 diabetes taking GLP-1 treatments, which include Ozempic, have a lower chance of developing 10 types of obesity-related cancers than those taking insulin and other diabetes drugs, according to a study published on Friday.

GLP-1 treatments for type 2 diabetes have been on the market for nearly 20 years. The newer generation – such as Novo Nordisk’s Ozempic and Eli Lilly’s Mounjaro – are far more effective at controlling blood sugar levels and inducing weight loss. Ozempic was the first of the newer generation in the class to be approved, in 2017.

In the study published on Friday in medical journal JAMA Network Open, researchers examined the medical records of 1.6 million patients with type 2 diabetes who had no prior history of 13 types of obesity-related cancers including gallbladder cancer and kidney cancer.

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The study did not specify which GLP-1 medicines the patients took, but the records were for patients on these medicines or insulin or the diabetes drug metformin between March 2005 and November 2018. Ozempic was only approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in December 2017.

The study found that the patients treated with a GLP-1 therapy instead of insulin “had a significant risk reduction” in 10 of those cancers.

The findings are “preliminary evidence of the potential benefit” of GLP-1 drugs for cancer prevention in high-risk population, the researchers concluded. They also said that studies of the newer generation of these medicines for their cancer preventative effects are warranted.

The authors of the study did not report having received funds from drugmakers who market these medicines.

The versions of these medicines that are approved to treat obesity, and have been shown to help patients lose as much as 20% of their weight on average, have exploded in popularity, leading to record profits for Novo and Lilly.

Lilly’s Mounjaro and weight-loss therapy Zepbound, as well as Novo’s rival medicines Ozempic and Wegovy are already being studied to see whether they can improve health in many other ways, ranging from alcohol addiction to sleep apnea.

In March, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved Wegovy for lowering the risk of stroke and heart attack in overweight or obese adults who do not have diabetes.

A human case of the plague has been confirmed in Pueblo County, Colorado, according to health officials.

The Pueblo Department of Public Health and Environment (PDPHE) is working with the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment to investigate, according to a press release.

No specific information was provided about the person who contracted the plague.

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“We advise all individuals to protect themselves and their pets from plague,” Alicia Solis, program manager of the Office of Communicable Disease and Emergency Preparedness at PDPHE, stated in the release.

What is the plague?

The bubonic plague is caused by Yersinia pestis, a bacterium that was likely first introduced in North America around 1900 from rats on ships coming from South Asia, according to Timothy Brewer, M.D., professor of medicine and epidemiology at UCLA.

“Since its introduction 120 years ago, it has become endemic in ground squirrels and rodents in the rural Southwestern U.S.,” he told Fox News Digital.

Although the disease can affect people of all ages, half the cases involve patients between the ages of 12 and 45, as stated on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) website.

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Globally, between 1,000 and 2,000 cases of plague are reported to the World Health Organization each year — although only an average of seven annual cases are in the U.S.

If left untreated, the plague has a fatality rate of 30% to 60%. 

With antibiotics, that drops to below 5%.

“Since its introduction 120 years ago, [bubonic plague] has become endemic in ground squirrels and rodents in the rural Southwestern U.S.,” an expert told Fox News Digital. (iStock)

Symptoms and spread

Symptoms of the plague typically include severe headache, fever and chills, muscle aches, nausea, vomiting and swollen lymph nodes, the health department listed.

The plague can spread by droplets from one person infected with Y. pestis to another, according to Erica Susky, a certified infection control practitioner based in Canada. 

“The more common risk of exposure in the U.S. is from pets, rodents and fleas,” she told Fox News Digital. 

Symptoms of the plague typically include severe headache, fever and chills, muscle aches, nausea, vomiting and swollen lymph nodes. (iStock)

“Pets can sometimes be infected when encountering an infected flea or rodent and may pass it along to their pet owners from a bite or if the pet is ill.”

Another possible source is from hunting, she said — “skinning animals is also a risk, as the bacterium can spread via infected body fluids.”

“Treat pets promptly if they have a flea infestation and seek veterinary treatment if a pet becomes ill.”

Breathing in dust contaminated by dried rodent urine or feces with the bacteria can also spread the infection, according to Brewer.

Preventing the plague

The best means of prevention is to avoid rodents and fleas whenever possible, including dead rodents, Susky said.

“One way to do this is to ensure the home is rodent-proof by eliminating places where rodents may enter and hide,” she told Fox News Digital. 

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Whenever possible, pets should be kept indoors, Susky recommended. 

If pets are outdoors, they should be leashed. 

“Treat pets promptly if they have a flea infestation and seek veterinary treatment if a pet becomes ill,” Susky advised.

“If spending time outdoors where one may be bitten by fleas and other insects, repellent should be applied to minimize potential bites, which are a portal of entry for the bacterium if one is bitten by an infected flea,” an infectious diseases expert advised. (iStock)

Hunters should wear gloves and wash their hands after skinning animals, and should change and wash their clothes afterward, she added.

The PDPHE also recommends keeping pet food in rodent-proof containers and not allowing pets to sleep in bed.

“If spending time outdoors where one may be bitten by fleas and other insects, repellent should be applied to minimize potential bites, which are a portal of entry for the bacterium if one is bitten by an infected flea,” Susky said.

Anyone who develops symptoms of plague should see a health care provider immediately, officials advised. (iStock)

Anyone who develops symptoms of plague should see a health care provider immediately, Solis advised in the PDPHE alert.

“Plague can be treated successfully with antibiotics, but an infected person must be treated promptly to avoid serious complications or death.”

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Fox News Digital reached out to the Pueblo Department of Public Health and Environment and the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment for comment.

Two brands of potassium chloride capsules are being recalled because they may not dissolve as they should, which could cause a person to have a heart attack, according to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

In a press release published on June 25, the FDA explained that Glenmark Pharmaceuticals Inc. is recalling 114 batches of a product called Potassium Chloride Extended-Release Capsules, USP (750 mg) 10 mEq K. The reason is because of “failed dissolution” in the pills.

The product is intended for patients who suffer from low potassium levels, or hypokalemia. 

According to the FDA, the failed dissolution could elevate consumers’ potassium to the point where a heart attack is possible.

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American Health Packaging issued a similar recall of 21 batches of the same capsules. The capsules were also made by Glenmark but distributed by BluePoint Laboratories.

“The failed dissolution of potassium chloride extended release capsules may cause high potassium levels, also known as hyperkalemia, which can result in irregular heart beat that can lead to cardiac arrest,” the FDA’s statement read. 

“For patients who require chronic use of potassium chloride extended-release oral capsules… there is a reasonable probability of developing hyperkalemia that may lead to a range of severity of adverse events from being asymptomatic to more severe potential life-threatening adverse events of hyperkalemia such as cardiac arrythmias, severe muscle weakness, and death,” the agency added.

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The product is intended for patients who suffer from low potassium levels, or hypokalemia. (FDA)

The FDA also noted that there have not been any hyperkalemia cases or “serious adverse events” reported related to the product yet. The statement noted that the capsules are sold in bottles of 100-count and 500-count.

“Glenmark is notifying its wholesale and distributor customers by written letters and is arranging for return of all recalled batches,” the FDA said. “Wholesalers, distributors, and retailers that have the recalled products should discontinue distribution of the recalled product lots immediately and follow the instructions provided in the written recall letter.”

“Wholesalers and distributors should conduct a sub-recall to retail or pharmacy customers.”

Glenmark Pharmaceuticals Inc. is recalling 114 batches of a product called Potassium Chloride Extended-Release Capsules, USP (750 mg) 10 mEq K. (iStock)

Fox News Digital reached out to Glenmark Pharmaceuticals Inc. for comment, but did not hear back.