The prevention of rust does slow scale accumulation because rust is a rough porous surface that scale likes to stick to. But other than that (anodes also are rough porous surfaces) I’m not aware of any way they actively reduce it. Maybe the electronic ones, but that’s out of my wheelhouse (and they aren’t sacrificial).
Anodes protect against corrosion. They don’t do anything for hard water scale.
That’s not entirely true: sacrificial anodes attract and collect calcium and magnesium as well as preventing rust.
The prevention of rust does slow scale accumulation because rust is a rough porous surface that scale likes to stick to. But other than that (anodes also are rough porous surfaces) I’m not aware of any way they actively reduce it. Maybe the electronic ones, but that’s out of my wheelhouse (and they aren’t sacrificial).