Furthermore, Cheng et al. showed that metformin therapy could reduce stroke incidence in patients with diabetes. At the same time, another study found that administration of metformin in DM patients before stroke onset was associated with reduced neurological severity and improved acute-phase therapy outcomes.
Metformin use reduces the incidence and severity of stroke in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM).
In fact, those on sulfonylureas were 36 percent more likely to have a heart attack, heart failure or stroke, and those on basal insulin were twice as likely.
Longitudinal clinical studies have indicated that metformin may reduce the risk of cognitive decline in diabetic patients [2, 14]. Metformin treatment improved cognitive function and produce antidepressant effects in diabetic patients with depression [3].
The kidneys process and clear the medication out of your system through your urine. If your kidneys don't function properly, there's concern that metformin can build up in your system and cause a condition called lactic acidosis. Lactic acidosis is when there's a dangerous amount of lactic acid in the body.
They noted that in observational studies there was a significant association of exposure to metformin with the risk of cancer death, all malignancies, liver, colorectal, pancreas, stomach, and esophagus.
This medicine is not recommended in patients 80 years of age and older who have kidney problems.
Nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea are some of the most common side effects people have when they first start taking metformin. These problems usually go away over time. You can reduce these effects by taking metformin with a meal.
More serious side effects are rare. They include severe allergic reactions and a condition called lactic acidosis, a buildup of lactic acid in the bloodstream. The risk for this is higher among people with significant kidney disease, so doctors tend to avoid prescribing metformin for them.
To date, several anti-diabetic agents (metformin, pioglitazone, and semaglutide) have been shown to affect stroke prevention positively. Metformin, a well-established AMPK activator, is the most promising first-line anti-diabetic drug.
According to data from the Greater Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky stroke study, diabetes increases ischemic stroke incidence in all age groups, but this risk is most striking before the age of 55 years in African Americans and before the age of 65 years in Whites.
Our results also indicated that the platelet adhesive function was reduced after administration of metformin. However, metformin treatment appeared to have no significant influence on coagulation factors and clot weight.
Under certain conditions, too much metformin can cause lactic acidosis. The symptoms of lactic acidosis are severe and quick to appear, and usually occur when other health problems not related to the medicine are present and are very severe, such as a heart attack or kidney failure.
Metformin side effects can include diarrhea, nausea and vomiting, and gas. Taking metformin on a schedule can help reduce side effects. Most metformin side effects are short-term, which is 2 weeks or less. See a healthcare provider if you're experiencing long-term metformin side effects.
Commonly reported side effects of metformin include: lactic acidosis, diarrhea, nausea, nausea and vomiting, vomiting, and flatulence. Other side effects include: asthenia, and decreased vitamin b12 serum concentrate.
Taking certain other medications with metformin may increase the risk of lactic acidosis. Tell your doctor if you are taking acetazolamide (Diamox), dichlorphenamide (Keveyis), methazolamide, topiramate (Topamax, in Qsymia), or zonisamide (Zonegran).
People with type 2 diabetes (the most common form) are twice as likely to develop liver or pancreatic cancer. They also run a higher-than-normal risk of developing colon, bladder and breast cancer.
Conclusion: Metformin does not appear to cause or exacerbate liver injury and, indeed, is often beneficial in patients with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. Nonalcoholic fatty liver frequently presents with transaminase elevations but should not be considered a contraindication to metformin use.
1. How long does it take metformin to work? Metformin is a long-term medication. While not everyone with diabetes needs to take medication forever, many people will continue taking metformin for life.
Recent studies have also found that metformin has a positive effect on cardiovascular protection [8,9,10,11,12]. Metformin also lowers risk factors for cardiovascular disease such as blood fats [13,14,15], body weight and blood pressure.
Therefore, glycemic control in diabetic patients is vital for bone health. Metformin, a widely used antidiabetic drug, has been shown to improve bone quality and decrease the risk of fractures in patients with diabetes in addition to glycemic control and improving insulin sensitivity.