Correlation of various lipid-lowering and hypoglycemic drugs with the risk of gastric cancer in elderly population

Abstract

Purpose: To investigate the correlation between several lipid-lowering and hypoglycemic drugs and the risk of gastric cancer (GC) in elderly population.Methods: A total of 160 elderly patients with GC who attended The First Affiliated Hospital of Henan University of Science and Technology from January 1, 2014 to December 31, 2020 were enrolled in the study group. Furthermore, 320 healthy volunteers within the same period were assigned to the control group. Clinical data (such as history of statin, sulfonylurea and biguanide administration) were collected from the patient’s medical records. Multifactorial logistic regression was used to determine the association between these lipid-lowering and glucose-lowering drugs, and the risk of developing GC.Results: After adjusting for numerous confounding factors, multifactorial logistic regression showed that long-term use (>12 months of treatment) of statins and biguanides significantly reduced the risk of GC in elderly population (p = 0.006, p = 0.004, respectively), while long-term use of sulphonylureas increased the risk of GC in elderly population (p = 0.004).Conclusion: Statins, sulfonylureas and biguanides may be closely associated with the development of GC in elderly population. Therefore, a detailed understanding of the efficacy and mechanisms of action of these drugs may benefit the elderly in the prevention and control of GC.