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Metformin Use Linked to Lower Odds of Myeloproliferative Neoplasms

Medically reviewed by Carmen Pope, BPharm. Last updated on May 23, 2024.

By Elana Gotkine HealthDay Reporter

THURSDAY, May 23, 2024 -- Metformin use, including long-term use, is associated with significantly lower odds of myeloproliferative neoplasm (MPN) diagnosis, according to a study published online May 17 in Blood Advances.

Daniel Tuyet Kristensen, M.D., from Aalborg University Hospital in Denmark, and colleagues conducted a population-based case-control study using Danish registers to examine the association between metformin use and the risk for MPN. Cases with MPN diagnosed between 2010 and 2018 were identified, and metformin use prior to MPN diagnosis was ascertained. Metformin use was compared among cases with MPN and an age- and sex-matched control group from the Danish general population (3,816 cases and 19,080 controls).

The researchers found that 7.0 and 8.2 percent of cases and controls were categorized as ever-users of metformin, respectively (odds ratio [OR] for MPN, 0.84; adjusted OR for MPN, 0.70). Long-term metformin use (at least five years) was more infrequent and occurred in 1.1 and 2.0 percent of cases and controls, respectively (OR, 0.57; adjusted OR, 0.45). When cumulative duration of treatment was analyzed, there was a dose-response relationship observed; in stratified analyses of sex, age, and MPN subtypes, this was consistent.

"This study showed significant reduction in risk of MPN among metformin users and a dose-response relationship with long-term use of metformin having more protective effects," the authors write. "However, overall given the rarity of MPN, the absolute risk reduction is small and primary prophylaxis prevention is not feasible."

Several authors disclosed ties to the pharmaceutical industry.

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Disclaimer: Statistical data in medical articles provide general trends and do not pertain to individuals. Individual factors can vary greatly. Always seek personalized medical advice for individual healthcare decisions.

© 2024 HealthDay. All rights reserved.

Posted May 2024

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