Metformin, a medication used to manage high blood sugar in individuals with type 2 diabetes, has been found to decrease the risk of developing myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPN) over time. This suggests that the treatment may have a protective effect against certain types of cancers, as reported in a study published in Blood Advances.ulin, also known as metformin, has been found to have a significant impact on the release of glucose from the liver and the body’s ability to absorb glucose. Research has shown that the use of metformin may lower the risk of certain types of cancers, including gastrointestinal, breast, and urologic cancers. Additionally, a study of U.S. veterans revealed that metformin users have a reduced risk for both solid and hematological cancers. Anne Stidsholt Roug, MD, PhD, from Aarhus University Hospital and Aalborg University Hospital in Denmark, expressed interest in exploring the potential effects of commonly prescribed treatments like metformin.The potential anti-inflammatory effect of metformin caught our attention, as MPNs are known to be very inflammatory diseases. This study is the first of its kind to look into the connection between metformin use and the risk of developing MPNs.
MPNs are a group of diseases that impact the production of blood cells in the bone marrow, leading to an excessive production of red blood cells, white blood cells, or platelets. This can result in issues such as bleeding, a higher risk of stroke or heart attack, and damage to the organs.
The researchers examined the use of metformin among patients diagnosed with MPNs and compared it to a similar group from the general Danish population between the years 2010 and 2018. Out of the 3,816 MPN cases identified, rnrnThe data from the study showed that 268 individuals with MPN, which is 7.0%, had used metformin. In comparison, 8.2% of the control group (1,573 out of 19,080) had also used metformin but were not diagnosed with MPN. Only 1.1% of MPN cases had taken metformin for more than five years, in contrast to 2.0% of the controls. The protective effect of metformin was evident in all subtypes of MPN when adjusting for potential confounders.
Daniel Tuyet Kristensen, MD, PhD student at Aalborg University Hospital and the lead author of the study, expressed surprise at the significant association observed in the data. The study found that people with myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPNs) who took metformin for more than five years had a lower risk of developing cancer compared to those who took it for less than a year. Dr. Kristensen explained that this makes sense because MPNs take a long time to develop, similar to other types of cancer.
The researchers observed that the long-term use of metformin had a protective effect on all subtypes of MPN, but they also acknowledged that the study had limitations. It was based on registry data and retrospective in design, and it did not consider lifestyle factors like smoking, obesity, and diet that can influence cancer risk.
Dr. Roug mentioned that the study team was unable to assess the individual effects of metformin due to the study’s limitations.The researchers are not sure exactly how metformin protects against the development of MPN, but they are hopeful that further studies will provide more insight. In the future, the researchers plan to investigate similar trends with myelodysplastic syndromes and acute myeloid leukemia using population-level data for future research.
