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Cardiovascular Benefit of Metformin

lucylocket61

lucylocket61

Expert
Is it actually true that there is a cardiovascular benefit of taking metformin? I am on Metformin SR and cant find out info either backing up this claim or debunking it.

I want to stop my Metformin SR due to the side effects being so dreadful, but I want to make an informed decision.
 
I've been struggling to find decent studies too. In fact the only one that I have found that seems to be a meta analysis says


Furthermore, as noted above, a recent meta-analysis 7 did not confirm (P=0.89) the favourable effect of metformin on cardiovascular outcomes compared with other glucose lowering drugs, as observed in the UK Prospective Diabetes Study5 and possible harm of additional metformin treatment in sulphonylurea treated patients was suggested.7 Moreover, unlike insulin or sulphonylureas, metformin has not yet been shown to significantly reduce microvascular outcomes.5 6 64

http://www.bmj.com/content/344/bmj.e1771
 
Thanks for the links catherine but having read through them, they seem little more than anecdotal - So basically there are no studies that prove that metformin assist in any other fashion than possibly lowering bg levels / visceral fat deposits, After further researching I found a meta study http://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&rct=j& ... zCYUxCDGtA

pretty much still sitting on the fence as to efficacy

tailing off with other 'possible' benefits with cancer mortality ...

If anyone knows of a study confirming metformins assist with cardio health - (that would not otherwise be gained anyway through weight loss and tight bg control) could they please post ?
 
I dropped my Metformin about 1 week ago (DN and GP don't know yet) I was only on 1 x 500g. My levels have remained great if not better. The benefit of not running urgently to the toilet with diarrhoea and being able to plan and go out all day without thinking about the toilet has made me think it was the right thing to do, for me at least. I do have a very low carb diet up to 35g carbs a day.
 
For what it's worth I have never had any faith in metformin. I agreed with my nurse to stop it for six months to see if I noticed any difference and I didn't. She assures me that there are long term benefits but has not provided any evidence or figures so far.

The problem I have with all of these drugs is that there are side effects which outweigh the benefits. In the case of metformin at the original dose rate everything I ate tasted of burnt plastic. I had to have an agreement to halve the dose before I could eat without this problem.

I now regard it as one of those medicines that signify conformity as in One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest. If I am not taking my metformin then I am refusing meds therefore I am a bad person.

So take your metformin people. ..................conform.
 
I take 3x500mg of bog standard Metformin a day and have never had problems with it so I guess I'm lucky. I find it works a treat at minimizing spikes and producing more overall stable BG's. Here are my BG readings one month into my 50g low carb diet and one month after my initial diagnosis.

I hope you can see that on Jan 9th I got to first see my DSN and got my first prescription for Metformin! The results were pretty instantaneous. The fist two columns are my actual pre and post readings and the last two columns are the daily averages of the pre and post readings.



Based on that evidence I now take 3 pills a day one with breakfast and two with dinner. At my last recent appointment with my gp I was afraid he would stop them because my levels are so well controlled but he reiterated the benefit to the heart but I must admit he didn't tell me why Metformin is good for the heart or how it works at being good for the heart but it is certainly good for my levels.

Actually googled "Heart benefits Metformin" and top of the pile is a post made by Catherine back in 2010 :lol:

http://www.diabetes.co.uk/diabetes-forum/viewtopic.php?f=26&t=15768

CatherineCherub said:
Most of us know that Metformin is heart protective.

Asked my G.P. to list the benefits heart wise and this is what he sent me,

Metformin has more benefits than blood sugar control.
It reduces the macrovascular complications of diabetes by improving endothial functions and reducing inflammatory cytokines and oxidative stress. This reduces cardiovascular events in patients with Type 2 diabetes.
If you are baffled by some of the above as I was, then do a google search on the words you don't understand.
My conclusion is that it does have heart benefits and our risk of heart problems are greater than the general public. It is not a miracle drug for lowering blood sugars, it sometimes helps with weight reduction but these heart benefits are worth considering.
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Type 2, or diabetic people though maybe at higher risk to heart issues, personally I think a non diabetic person can have a heart issue at any point as well. I think if you are on many pills and or insulin and or have other issues as well then it would be a good idea to stay on it. In my case of just 1 Metformin, no other meds and no other complications I have stopped taking it (for now) and still the same for my levels.
 
I am on a pretty low dose of Metformin 2x500mg a day, one in the morning, one in the evening. Initially they decimated my appetite, but after I started the Newcastle diet, I have never had any problems with it since. My GP also mentioned that Metformin is considered a very safe drug, and also offers protective qualities. Like others he didn't stipulate what, why or how, but I trust my GP totally, so I believe him, and chose to stay on Metformin. I think it's a very personal choice to take or not take Metformin, for me, with no side effects, then the anecdotal evidence, and what my GP told me is enough, I am happy to stay on Met. My GP and I disagree on statins, he put me on simvastatin which I had no problem with, I wanted to come off them, so a compromise was a low dose of atorvastatin. This made my hair fall out, so is now firmly in the bin, my choice GP doesn't know - yet!
 
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