Metformin and mortality

[Wookie1974]

Hi, I was diagnosed type 2 back in July with a hba1c 91. Had my first 3 month blood test this week, with a hba1c 45. Only been on 1 metformin 500mg a day but my doctor has asked me to up my dose to 1 metformin 500mg twice a day with the added reason of lower mortality rates. I've lost about 2st, 9cm off my waist and BP was down to 110/70 when I saw the nurse. Doc says it's my choice to up meds. Not sure about the Metformin lower mortality question vs what it's potentially doing to my liver. Would rather be taking no meds.

 

[ianf0ster]

Many people get tummy problems with Metformin.
If they still get those side effects even with the Extended release version, they usually stop taking it and either focus on diet - often cutting carbohydrates (which works much better than Metformin) or they look for other (more dangerous) medication.

I have heard of Metformin being tested for longevity, but there is no hard evidence in humans. - It would need a large number of subjects being followed for a very long time to prove any benefit.

 

[RFSMarch]

My doctor constantly regales me of tales of how good metformin will be for me with a family history of heart issues etc. I still politely decline to go onto 4 metformin a day as I also take jardiance and blood pressure meds. Control (as per Libre sensor) seems to be good with everything else.

Judging from yesterday's round of golf, I think my blood pressure management still has some way to go... grrrrr hate that little ball.

 

[JoKalsbeek]

Hi, I was diagnosed type 2 back in July with a hba1c 91. Had my first 3 month blood test this week, with a hba1c 45. Only been on 1 metformin 500mg a day but my doctor has asked me to up my dose to 1 metformin 500mg twice a day with the added reason of lower mortality rates. I've lost about 2st, 9cm off my waist and BP was down to 110/70 when I saw the nurse. Doc says it's my choice to up meds. Not sure about the Metformin lower mortality question vs what it's potentially doing to my liver. Would rather be taking no meds.

I'm actually surprised that upping meds was discussed... Your HbA1c has massively improved, taking you off metformin would've been the logical choice of topic. Besides, with your HbA1c now in the prediabetic range and headed for non-diabetic, and your weight loss on top of that, the mortality rate is going down significantly as it is...

Just.... Baffled.

 

[Pipp]

Perhaps @Wookie1974 ’s doctor is influenced by this study?
https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03772964

 

[Wookie1974]

Thanks for the messages! I received the same advice from docs about statins. Again promoting them as a drug everyone should be taking once over 50 (I'm only 45!!!), so don't know if they are just very pro medication. My cholesterol is slightly high but they seem quick to offer the pills rather than see if improvements are made through diet and exercise.

 

[sno0opy]

I'm actually surprised that upping meds was discussed... Your HbA1c has massively improved, taking you off metformin would've been the logical choice of topic. Besides, with your HbA1c now in the prediabetic range and headed for non-diabetic, and your weight loss on top of that, the mortality rate is going down significantly as it is...

Just.... Baffled.

I had a consultant appointment at the hospital after my HBA1C dropped from 87 to 33. The consultant put my from 1000mg a day to 2000mg a day as he stated it had the best long term outcome for patients.

Generally in his view the long term studies show that mortality rates for diabetics even with low HBA1C scores were better on metformin then not. There is a general view that reducing or removing the meds leads to a rebound in allot of cases thus he didn't want to drop it and infact increased it in my case - not withstanding that it is supposed to reduce the risk of heart failure.

It took two further 33 and 30 HBA1C scores for him to grudgingly accept that i was dropping it to 1000mg but he point blank refused to accept i should stop it entirely and should listen to him as an expert in diabetes.

There are certainly studies and reasons that Dr's prefer people on metformin - in the end if you choose to follow it is your own choice but its not just local GP's who are following this route. Because of my age i was under hospital consultation and the Dr who had these chats with me specialized purely in Diabetes and nothing else so had certainly allot of knowledge on the subject and wasn't just a local GP with passing information.