Metformin News and Research

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Metformin is the active ingredient in a drug used to treat diabetes mellitus (a condition in which the body cannot control the level of sugar in the blood). It is also being studied in the treatment of cancer. It decreases the amount of glucose (a type of sugar) released into the bloodstream from the liver and increases the body’s use of the glucose. Metformin is a type of antidiabetic agent.

Researchers simulate leaky gut conditions using 3D models of human intestines

Once a vague scapegoat for a variety of ills, increasing evidence suggests a condition known as "leaky gut" -- in which microbes and other molecules seep out of the intestines -- may be more common, and more harmful, than previously thought.

10 Feb 2020

Yale researchers find way to reverse type-2 diabetes and liver fibrosis in mice

In a pair of related studies, a team of Yale researchers has found a way to reverse type-2 diabetes and liver fibrosis in mice and has shown that the underlying processes are conserved in humans.

4 Feb 2020

Elevated pre-meal blood sugar levels in pregnant women linked to adverse outcomes

Pregnant women diagnosed with diabetes who have elevated fasting (pre-meal) blood sugar levels are more likely to face complications than those who have only elevated post-meal glucose levels, according to a new study by a University of Alberta research team.

4 Feb 2020

Healing and hope for families affected by fragile X in Eastern Europe

Mothers and fathers and their young children crowded into an old, government-run children's hospital in Belgrade, Serbia, colorful, cartoonish drawings covering its hallway walls. Parents struggled to soothe their anxious, wriggly boys and girls. But they were patient, polite. It was, after all, a day unlike any other. A day for hope.

23 Jan 2020

Houston Methodist scientist proposes new combination treatment for Ewing sarcoma

Ewing sarcoma, an aggressive tumor that commonly affects bones in adolescents and young adults, is diagnosed in about 225 American children and teens every year, accounting for about 1 percent of pediatric cancers.

16 Dec 2019

FDA checks metformin drugs for potentially carcinogenic substance

The FDA is checking metformin medications used to treat diabetes for a potential carcinogen, N-nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA).

11 Dec 2019

Metformin shows benefits on aging and different diseases

Researchers at McMaster University have unlocked one of the secrets behind the many benefits of metformin.

9 Dec 2019

Multiple mechanisms at work in diabetes drug metformin

Metformin is the most commonly prescribed type 2 diabetes drug, yet scientists still do not fully know how it works to control blood sugar levels. In a collaborative effort, researchers from the Salk Institute, The Scripps Research Institute and Weill Cornell Medical College have used a novel technology to investigate why it functions so well.

3 Dec 2019

WHO announces two-year scheme to drive down the price of insulin

The World Health Organization plans to make insulin more affordable for the millions of people suffering from diabetes.

18 Nov 2019

Half the drugs in use damage gut bacteria, says new study

A startling presentation at UEG Week 2019, in Barcelona, reveals that the gut microbiome is at high risk for damage each time we use a drug from one or more of 18 commonly used groups. The effects may range from changes in the relative proportions of different beneficial and potentially harmful species to alterations in the cellular metabolism of the bacteria themselves.

23 Oct 2019

Study dispels the hypothesis that metformin could help exercising seniors gain more muscle mass

A clinical trial initiated by University of Kentucky researchers argues against the hypothesis that the diabetes drug metformin could help exercising seniors gain more muscle mass. The double-blind trial, conducted at the University of Kentucky and University of Alabama at Birmingham, found that older adults who took metformin while performing rigorous resistance exercise training had smaller gains in muscle mass than the placebo group.

22 Oct 2019

Study blunts hopes that diabetes drug could help exercising seniors gain more muscle mass

A new clinical trial dispels the hypothesis that the diabetes drug metformin could help exercising seniors gain more muscle mass.

22 Oct 2019

Metabolic dysfunction found to be primary cause of Alzheimer's disease

A team of researchers led by Yale-NUS College has found evidence that metabolic dysfunction is a primary cause of Alzheimer's disease.

17 Oct 2019

Rapamycin is more effective at slowing down aging, says researcher

The scientist discusses several reasons, including fear of the actual and fictional side effects of rapamycin, everolimus and other clinically-approved drugs, arguing that no real side effects preclude their use as anti-aging drugs today.

17 Oct 2019

Metformin for diabetics with renal damage scores over Sulphonylureas in terms of heart safety

There are several drugs that are being used for treatment of type 2 diabetes. Many type 2 diabetics suffer from kidney disorders that are caused by persistent high levels of blood sugar.

25 Sep 2019

Study shows metformin is safe for patients with mild-to- moderate kidney disease

Over the years, there has been uncertainty over which drugs are best for patients with Type 2 diabetes and one of its common complications, kidney disease.

25 Sep 2019

Research: Metformin may be effective in treating breast cancer that lacks Nischarin protein

Research conducted by Suresh Alahari, PhD, Professor of Biochemistry and Genetics at LSU Health New Orleans School of Medicine, has found that metformin, a commonly prescribed drug for Type 2 Diabetes, may be effective in treating cancers that lack a protein called Nischarin.

20 Sep 2019

Early combination therapy provides long-term benefits for patients with type 2 diabetes

A new study, VERIFY (Vildagliptin Efficacy in combination with metfoRmIn For earlY treatment of type 2 diabetes) presented at this year's Annual Meeting of the European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD) in Barcelona, Spain (16-20 Sept, 2019), and published simultaneously in The Lancet, is the first to show that early combination therapy using vildagliptin and metformin in patients newly diagnosed with type 2 diabetes (T2D) leads to better long-term blood sugar control and a reduced rate of treatment failure than metformin alone.

19 Sep 2019

Could drinking a small amount of alcohol everyday be good for type 2 diabetes?

A new meta-analysis suggests that people with type 2 diabetes may benefit from light-to-moderate drinking, which could have a positive effect on blood glucose and fat metabolism.

18 Sep 2019

Diet can alter efficacy of type-2 diabetes drug via its action on gut bacteria, study shows

Research published in Cell on 29th August by the groups of Filipe Cabreiro from the MRC London Institute of Medical Sciences and Imperial College and Christoph Kaleta from Kiel University in Germany has demonstrated that diet can alter the effectiveness of a type-2 diabetes drug via its action on gut bacteria.

30 Aug 2019