Metformin, a diabetes medication, has been linked to a reduced risk of developing myeloproliferative neoplasms , according to a study in Blood Advances. The research shows metformin’s potential beyond diabetes management, with its anti-inflammatory properties possibly preventing MPN, a cancer-like condition involving the overproduction of blood cells.
People who use the diabetes medication metformin are less likely to develop a type of blood cancer called myeloproliferative neoplasm over time, indicating that the treatment may help prevent the development of certain types of cancers.
“We were surprised by the magnitude of the association we saw in the data,” said Daniel Tuyet Kristensen, MD, PhD student, at Aalborg University Hospital and lead author of the study. “We saw the strongest effect in people who had taken metformin for more than five years as compared to those who had taken the treatment for less than a year.” Dr. Kristensen added that this makes clinical sense, as MPNs are diseases that develop over a long period of time, like other types of cancer.