"Popular Cancer Drug Linked To Weight Gain And Increased Systolic Blood Pressure"
A popular cancer drug is associated with significant weight gain and increased systolic blood pressure, researchers from the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai report in a study published in Scientific Reports. The drug, ruxolitinib, was the first and currently remains the most widely used FDA-approved mechanism-based therapy for myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPNs), blood cancers that include myelofibrosis and polycythemia vera. "Weight gain with ruxolitinib has previously been reported in clinical trials, but our study provides real-world experience regarding the extent of that weight gain," said lead author Emily Gallagher, MD, assistant professor of medicine, endocrinology, diabetes and bone disease at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. She added, “We recommend that patients who go on this medication and do have an increase in weight get a full metabolic evaluation."
—Emily J. Gallagher, MD, Director, Research Residency in the Department of Medicine, Assistant Professor, Medicine, Endocrinology, Diabetes and Bone Disease, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
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