Metformin: Advantages and unintended effects of this diabetes drug

Folks residing with sort 2 diabetes might know all about metformin, which is an oral medicine taken to handle this well being situation. This medication works by decreasing blood sugar ranges, enhancing insulin sensitivity, and decreasing glucose manufacturing by the liver. It’s normally the first-line remedy for sort 2 diabetes, because it helps management blood sugar with out inflicting a number of weight acquire or extreme hypoglycemia or low blood sugar. However that’s not the one good thing about metformin. Aside from diabetes administration, this medication, usually dubbed because the “marvel drug”, can also be used to deal with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) or assist to shed some pounds. Know the advantages and unintended effects of metformin, which is greater than a diabetes drug.

How does metformin assist diabetics?

Metformin helps folks with diabetes by decreasing the liver’s glucose manufacturing, enhancing insulin sensitivity, and reducing glucose absorption within the intestines. “These actions decrease blood sugar ranges successfully, particularly in folks with sort 2 diabetes,” says endocrinologist Dr Jaspreet Singh. It doesn’t trigger weight acquire and will even support in weight reduction, making it a helpful choice for managing diabetes and stopping weight acquire.

What are the well being advantages of metformin?

Aside from managing diabetes, metformin has a number of different well being advantages:

1. Aids weight reduction

metformin customers who misplaced greater than 5 p.c of their weight within the first yr had extra success with sustaining weight reduction in years six to fifteen, discovered a research revealed within the Annals of Inside Drugs in 2019. “Metformin can assist scale back urge for food, which might result in decreased calorie consumption and in the end, weight reduction,” says the professional.

2. Helps handle polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS)

Metformin can be utilized to deal with PCOS, as it could possibly considerably scale back androgen ranges, enhance insulin sensitivity, and regulate menstrual cycle, as per 2023 analysis revealed within the Cureus journal. This medicine may additionally be helpful in treating infertility, a typical downside related to PCOS. A research revealed within the journal Frontiers in Endocrinology discovered the optimistic results of metformin on fertility. Ur was discovered that metformin can enhance fertility outcomes in females with insulin resistance related to PCOS.

3. Promotes coronary heart well being

Metformin might carry out related or higher coronary heart protecting results than different medicines reminiscent of pioglitazone and glyburide, as per analysis revealed within the Journal Of Mobile And Molecular Drugs in 2022. This medication has been discovered to scale back the danger of myocardial infarction or coronary heart assault, by a research revealed within the British Journal of Scientific Pharmacology. “It could decrease blood stress, and scale back the danger of coronary heart illness,” says Dr Singh.

4. Reduces most cancers threat

The usage of this medication might assist to lower threat of the incidence of assorted varieties of cancers, particularly of colon and pancreas, as per analysis revealed within the Annals Of Translational Drugs in 2014. Metformin comprises anti-inflammatory properties might assist scale back the danger of cancers.

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5. Improves liver well being

Metformin could also be helpful in folks with non-alcoholic fatty liver illness, in line with analysis revealed within the Journal of the American Pharmacists Affiliation in 2003. “It may well assist to scale back liver irritation and enhance liver perform,” says the professional.

6. Reduces threat of dementia

Its capacity to enhance insulin signaling within the mind might assist to guard towards cognitive decline and scale back dementia threat. An affiliation was discovered between termination of metformin remedy and elevated dementia incidence throughout a research revealed in JAMA Community Open in 2023.

7. Improves pores and skin well being

Metformin might have helpful results on inflammatory pores and skin issues together with psoriasis, zits, and allergic contact dermatitis, as per analysis revealed within the Worldwide Journal Of Molecular Sciences in 2020. It could additionally assist enhance pores and skin texture other than coping with these pores and skin circumstances.

8. Lowers the danger of lengthy Covid

It could assist to scale back the danger of lengthy Covid in diabetics. Well being data from almost 76000 adults who took metformin for managing sort 2 diabetes had been analysed as a part of a analysis revealed in Diabetes Care in September 2024. They had been in comparison with greater than 13000 adults who took different diabetes drugs. Metformin customers had been as much as 21 p.c much less prone to have lengthy Covid than those that didn’t take this diabetes drug. This medication may additionally assist non-diabetics keep away from lengthy Covid. A research, revealed in The Lancet Infectious Ailments 2023, discovered that metformin decreased the danger of lengthy Covid by as much as 40 p.c in overweight or obese adults. Most of them didn’t have diabetes.

What are the unintended effects of metformin?

Metformin has advantages, however might have some unintended effects too –

1. Gastrointestinal points

These are a number of the widespread unintended effects of metformin that usually resolve on their very own over time. They could embody –

• Nausea
• Diarrhea
• Fuel
• Bloating
• Lack of urge for food

2. Lactic acidosis

It’s uncommon, however harmful sickness that may trigger exhaustion, muscle weak point, dyspnoea, and abdomen ache. “Individuals who drink a number of alcohol or have particular medical issues, like liver or renal sickness, usually tend to expertise this aspect impact,” says the professional.

3. Vitamin B12 deficiency

Metformin can intervene with the absorption of vitamin B12. This may trigger anemia, which occurs resulting from a scarcity of pink blood cells within the physique, and results in decreased oxygen move to the organs of the physique.

Metformin isn’t just for diabetes administration, because it helps with PCOS, weight reduction, liver and coronary heart well being. However don’t eat this medication with out consulting with a physician, as it could result in gastrointestinal points and extra.