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Metformin: historical overview

The awesome voyage of metformin from herbal beginnings to respected therapeutic agent has been turbulent. It was discovered, forgotten, rediscovered, repurposed, rejected, rescued, exonerated and may have further secrets to reveal. Each chapter has a cast of champions who helped it on its way (Fig. 5), but the pivotal work of Jean Sterne stands aloft [6, 56]. Metformin is unusual amongst pharmacotherapies as it does not appear to have a single mechanistic target: rather it counters insulin resistance and impacts metabolic, vascular and other physiological functions through multiple effects that are individually modest but collectively substantial.

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 Breaking down diabetes: Drugs for diabetes, starting with the best — metformin

A huge assortment of 100 medications are available to treat high blood sugar in Type 2 diabetes, including two historical breakthrough drugs, insulin and metformin. The pharmaceutical industry has successfully added a few new, innovative drugs, but the most effective drugs remain the older, less expensive medications.

 Mechanism of Metformin: A Tale of Two Sites

Metformin (dimethylbiguanide) features as a current first-line pharmacological treatment for type 2 diabetes (T2D) in almost all guidelines and recommendations worldwide. It has been known that the antihyperglycemic effect of metformin is mainly due to the inhibition of hepatic glucose output, and therefore, the liver is presumably the primary site of metformin function.

Articles of Interest

Metformin Makes Headline News

A Cochrane Systematic Review of over 300 trials evaluated the incidence of lactic acidosis among patients prescribed metformin vs. non-metformin anti-diabetes medications. Of 100,000 people, the incidence of lactic acidosis was 4.3 cases in the metformin group and 5.4 cases in the non-metformin group. The authors concluded that metformin is not associated with an increased risk for lactic acidosis.

Metformin, The Anti-Aging Miracle Drug

You probably think of Diabetes Drugs as all lumped together as “Bad Drugs”. For many years , I certainly did. Perhaps it was the Avandia story that gave Diabetes Drugs a Bad Rap and made us think poorly of ALL Diabetes Drugs.

Metformin: Patients Share Their Experience

Metformin, used to treat type 2 diabetes, is one of the most widely-prescribed pharmaceutical drugs across the globe. But what do the people actually taking Metformin think of it?

Fear of Metformin

The doctor handed me a blue prescription slip. It said “METFORMIN”. Knowing I was upset, the doctor added helpfully “It can help you lose a few pounds, too.” I shoved the blue paper into my purse and hurriedly left her office. “Hell, no.” I said to myself. “Not gonna happen.”

A new perspective on the biguanide, metformin therapy in type 2 diabetes and lactic acidosis

Recently, some interesting information has emerged that the gut might play an important role in hypoglycemic action by metformin through microbiota, the gut–brain–liver axis or the gut–pancreas network.

Apothecary’s Apprentice: The Surprising Origins of Metformin

Metformin’s plant-based origins and rise to prominence reveal why it became the only biguanide widely used in diabetes care today.

Could a Diabetes Drug Help Beat Alzheimer's Disease?

Metformin may slow or reverse dementia and cognitive impairment, even in nondiabetics.

FDA Label May Prevent Use of Metformin in Type 2 Diabetics

Many patients with type 2 diabetes in the United States may be discouraged from taking metformin—a proven, oral diabetes medicine—because the U.S. Food and Drug Administration inappropriately labels the drug unsafe for some patients also suffering from kidney problems...

Finding a Drug for Healthy Aging

The team is starting with metformin because it is a cheap oral drug — costing about two cents a pill — with six decades of safe use in people throughout the world. Among those with Type 2 diabetes who have taken it for years, there is evidence suggesting that, in addition to diabetes, it protects against cardiovascular disease, cancer and possibly cognitive impairment, Dr. Kirkland said, adding that “it targets the fundamental processes of aging, which tend to be linked.”

How An Old Diabetes Drug Made A Big Splash At The Biggest Cancer Confab

So what gives metformin its anti-tumor effects? Several preclinical studies in animals and human cell samples suggest the drug inhibits mTOR (mammalian target of rapamycin), a protein that’s key to cell survival and that’s more active in some cancer cells than it is in normal cells.

Is Metformin an Anti-aging Drug?

As we age, we all lose sensitivity to insulin and begin, gradually or rapidly, to poison our bodies with excess sugar in the blood. This happens to almost everyone, and it is only when the symptom is particularly severe that it is diagnosed as (type 2) diabetes. Metformin is a drug that has been used to treat diabetes for 50 years, but it is only recently that epidemiologists have begun to notice that patients on metformin have lower rates of cancer and heart disease.

One in three people failing to take important diabetes drug for fear of side effects

Up to a third of people prescribed metformin – the most commonly prescribed drug for treating type 2 diabetes – are not taking the drug, our latest research shows. Not only is this putting a large number of people with diabetes at increased risk of serious complications, it is also a huge waste of money.

PCOS Treatment: Metformin

Because insulin resistance (IR) is a strong part of the PCOS profile, because IR may be an integral part of its mechanism, and because decompensation of glucose tolerance due to IR is a big part of the long-term health impact of PCOS, treatment with insulin-sensitizing agents is considered a vitally important part of PCOS treatment by most clinicians.

Review of Biguanide (Metformin) Toxicity

In the 1920s, guanidine, the active component of Galega officinalis, was shown to lower glucose levels and used to synthesize several antidiabetic compounds. Metformin (1,1 dimethylbiguanide) is the most well-known and currently the only marketed biguanide in the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, and Australia for the treatment of non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus.

Review of Biguanide (Metformin) Toxicity

In the 1920s, guanidine, the active component of Galega officinalis, was shown to lower glucose levels and used to synthesize several antidiabetic compounds. Metformin (1,1 dimethylbiguanide) is the most well-known and currently the only marketed biguanide in the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, and Australia for the treatment of non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus.

This Popular Diabetes Drug Could Become Our Fountain Of Youth

Metformin is about to be tested as an anti-aging drug on humans.

Unveiling the Journey of Metformin: A Diabetes Miracle

Metformin, a widely prescribed medication for managing type 2 diabetes, has a rich history dating back thousands of years. Its evolution from a plant extract to a cornerstone of modern diabetes care is a fascinating tale of scientific discovery and persistence.

Weekly Dose: metformin, the diabetes drug developed from French lilac

Metformin is the most widely used drug to treat type 2 diabetes globally.

What Is Metformin Used For and Is it Safe?

A recent study found that some of the effects – both good and bad – associated with metformin have to do with the way the drug alters gut bacterial communities.

Resources

Metformin

Adjunct to diet and exercise in type 2 diabetes.

Biguanides (Metformin)

The only biguanide currently prescribed to treat type 2 diabetes is metformin. It is sold under several brand names...

Common Drug Has The Potential To Slow Aging, Boost Cancer Recovery

If you're interested in Metformin's anti-aging potential in general, I doubt right now you'll get far asking your doctor to prescribe it for that purpose.

GoodRx

Metformin (Glucophage) is an inexpensive drug used to treat high blood sugar levels caused by type 2 diabetes. It is more popular than comparable drugs. It is available in both brand and generic versions.