Metformin, a diabetes medication, may help prevent blood cancer, specifically myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPN). Studies have shown metformin to have effects beyond diabetes, such as reducing inflammation. Researchers from Denmark found that individuals who took metformin had a lower risk of developing MPN, with a greater protective effect seen in those who took it for more than 5 years. This association was observed across all MPN subtypes, with the largest effect in polycythemia vera and essential thrombocythemia. While the study suggests a potential cancer-preventive effect of metformin, causality cannot be confirmed due to the study’s retrospective design.
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