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A clinical trial led by Monash University found that the common diabetes drug metformin significantly reduced knee pain in people with osteoarthritis and overweight or obesity, potentially delaying the need for knee replacements. Over six months, participants taking metformin experienced greater pain relief than those on placebo, offering a promising, low-cost alternative treatment. ======================================================================== Metformin may reduce knee pain in overweight patients with osteoarthritis, offering a low-cost alternative to early knee replacement surgery, according to a Monash University trial. A widely used diabetes medication may help relieve knee osteoarthritis (OA) pain in people who are overweight or obese, potentially delaying...

Scientists at Kumamoto University have unveiled a novel compound, HPH-15, which has dual effects: reducing blood glucose levels and combating fat accumulation. This breakthrough represents a significant advancement in diabetes treatment innovation. Type 2 diabetes, a condition affecting millions worldwide, is often accompanied by complications such as fatty liver and insulin resistance, posing challenges for current treatment methods. The research team, led by Visiting Associate Professor Hiroshi Tateishi and Professor Eiichi Araki, has identified HPH-15 as a promising alternative to existing medications like metformin.

Already the go-to drug of choice for millions with type 2 diabetes, metformin might also fight lung cancer if those patients have it as well, new research shows. Metformin appears to help boost the benefits of immunotherapy drugs used to fight lung tumors, according to a team led by Dr. Sai Yendamuri. There was one big catch to the new finding, however. "Our work shows that the anticancer effect of metformin is active only in the context of obesity," Yendamuri said in a Roswell news release. "We observed longer recurrence-free survival in overweight patients who took metformin and underwent surgery."...

Researchers could be closer to discovering a better way to use metformin, a common type 2 diabetes medication. Metformin is typically taken with meals to reduce gastrointestinal side effects, but new research is suggesting patients could see improved results if it's taken before meals. Dr. Cong Xie and a team which studied the gastrointestinal effects of the drug on 16 people living with type 2 diabetes who were already using it to treat the condition. Their findings were published and are now being used in e-learning by the European Association for the Study of Diabetes (one of the largest international...

A new study suggests that people who take a few common drugs may have a decreased risk of having a bleeding stroke due to a ruptured brain aneurysm. The results do not prove that these drugs reduce the risk of this type of aneurysm; they only show an association. Said Jos Peter Kanning, MSc, "Our current surgical treatments for brain aneurysms have a risk of permanent disability and death that often outweighs the potential benefits, so preventing rupture with a non-invasive drug would be very beneficial." Researchers looked at 4,879 people who had ruptured brain aneurysms, called aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhages....

Researchers found that metformin, a drug commonly used to treat diabetes, can decrease the amount of COVID-19 virus in the body and lower the chances of the virus coming back strongly after initial treatment. A higher viral load—the amount of virus in a person's body—usually indicates a greater concentration of the virus, which can be important in understanding the severity of infection and monitoring the effectiveness of treatments. "The results of the study are important because COVID-19 continues to cause illness, both during acute infection and for months after infection," said Carolyn Bramante, MD. In this phase 3 randomized clinical...

Metformin is a widely prescribed drug for managing type 2 diabetes. In recent years, indications of its potential anticancer properties have emerged in research. A study has found that metformin activates the body's immune cells. The effect was particularly observed in what are known as dendritic cells, which are the most effective in helping the immune system identify cancer cells as foreign entities. "Our study found that metformin contributed to the metabolism of dendritic cells so that they became active and enhanced the immune response against cancer cells," says Rita Turpin. Identifying this effect can help to develop anticancer therapies...

A study suggests a class of medications used to treat type 2 diabetes may also reduce the risk of colorectal cancer (CRC). "Our results clearly demonstrate that GLP-1 RAs are significantly more effective than popular anti-diabetic drugs, such as Metformin or insulin, at preventing the development of CRC," said Nathan Berger. Glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists, or GLP-1 RAs, are medications to treat type 2 diabetes. Usually given by injection, they can lower blood-sugar levels, improve insulin sensitivity and help manage weight. They've also been shown to reduce the rates of major cardiovascular ailments. Importantly the protective effect of GLP-1 RAs...

A study suggests metformin is a drug that could prevent the progression of prostate cancer, but only for tumors with low levels of NKX3.1, which are more likely to develop into aggressive cancers. The researchers found metformin restores cancer-fighting mitochondrial activity that is lost when NKX3.1 levels are low, prevents prostate cancer progression in mice, and is associated with better survival in patients with low-NKX3.1 tumors but not high-NKX3.1 tumors. Papachristodoulou found that when prostate cells are under oxidative stress (as happens during prostate cancer development), NKX3.1 moves into the cells' mitochrondria to reduce stress and protect the cells. If...

A new method of controlling inflammation and sugar levels for oral and systemic disease prevention using a common diabetes drug has been discovered by a team of researchers. A team of researchers have found new ways of stopping periodontal (gum) disease and potentially reducing the incidence of diabetes and obesity. This new approach focuses on controlling inflammation and sugar levels in both the mouth and body with a common type 2 diabetes drug, Metformin. The only treatment strategy currently available to tackle gum disease is to deep clean the teeth to rid the mouth of bacteria, as well as prescribing...

Patients with localized prostate cancer have a good chance of survival, but mortality rates among those with advanced, metastatic forms of the condition remain high. Until now, the precise mechanism behind the spread of the tumor has not been fully explained. But a research team has succeeded in decoding the underlying cellular signal pathway and has carried out research using a common diabetes medication that could provide a new treatment option. The research team examined prostate cancer cells and identified the key factors in the regulation of tumor cell growth and the way they interact with each other. The protein...

You might not think of diabetes when you think of muscle function. But a common diabetes drug that regulates blood sugar can also prevent muscle atrophy and muscular fibrosis—which can help the elderly bounce back faster from injury or illness. Researchers have discovered that Metformin can target "zombie-like cells," called senescent cells, which impact muscle function. Senescent cells secrete factors associated with inflammation that may underlie fibrotic tissue, a hardening or scarring of tissues. Metformin also reduces muscle atrophy. There's an optimal level of senescent cells that are beneficial, no matter your age. To test the intervention in humans, the...

International research led by QIMR Berghofer has found hundreds of new genes linked to a person's risk of developing glaucoma, including key genetic targets that could, for the first time, pave the way for treatments that prevent the retinal damage that causes blindness. The findings, from the largest-ever global genetic study of the degenerative eye disease, have been published in Nature Genetics. The research significantly advances our understanding of the genetics of glaucoma, building on a previous 2021 study to identify another 185 previously unknown genes linked to glaucoma risk, bringing the total number to 312 genes. "Existing treatments focus...

Taking a two-week course of metformin, a safe and affordable diabetes medication after testing positive for SARS-CoV-2 leads to 40% fewer long COVID diagnoses over the following 10 months, compared to individuals taking a placebo, finds a study. The long-term symptoms some people experience after SARS-CoV-2 infection, known as long COVID, are an emerging chronic illness potentially affecting millions of people around the world. Currently there are no proven treatments or ways to prevent long COVID, other than reducing the risk of infection in the first place. This is the first phase 3 randomized controlled trial of a treatment for...

Metformin, the gold standard for diabetes treatment, causes modest weight loss The cheap drug is popular among tech figures for purported anti-aging benefits It is one of several highly popular tools out there for promoting weight loss A cheap diabetes pill has become the latest craze among tech moguls who claim it can reverse aging and melt body fat - but it can cause explosive diarrhea. Studies show the 20c pill promotes weight loss, while preliminary studies in mice models suggest the medication can improve life and health spans. Metformin - the world's most common treatment for type 2 diabetes...

researchers have identified a common diabetes medication, metformin, as a possible treatment for atrial fibrillation. The study built on ongoing research to support metformin as a drug repurposing candidate. Researchers used advanced computation and genetic sequencing to determine that metformin's targets overlap significantly with genes dysregulated in atrial fibrillation. "Finding drugs or procedures to treat atrial fibrillation is difficult because of potential serious side effects," said Mina Chung, M.D. "There is a significant need for new treatments for atrial fibrillation as there have been no new drugs approved in more than a decade." "It's not that we've found a new...

A half-century-old diabetes drug appears to help treat bipolar disorder by reversing patients' insulin resistance. Bipolar patients who responded to the drug metformin experienced improvement in their mood disorder as their insulin resistance decreased, said Dr. Cynthia Calkin. "We saw this improvement as early as week six in the study," she said. "Week 14 was the study endpoint, and patients remained significantly improved or in remission." Calkin noted that some patients who started off in the trial are still in remission, six or seven years later. Metformin helps treat type 2 diabetes by reducing production of glucose by the liver...

A large cohort study found that babies born to men who took metformin during the period of sperm development were at increased risk for birth defects, specifically genital defects in boys. These finding suggest that men with diabetes who are taking metformin should talk to their doctors about whether they should switch to another treatment when trying to conceive a child. However, because diabetes control also affects sperm quality, discontinuing metformin treatment could also affect birth outcomes. The findings are published in Annals of Internal Medicine. Diabetes increasingly occurs in people of reproductive age, compromises sperm quality, and is associated...

A new study confirms the health benefits of moderate calorie restrictions in humans—and identifies a key protein that could be harnessed to extend health in humans. Dixit started by analyzing the thymus, a gland that sits above the heart and produces T cells, a type of white blood cell and an essential part of the immune system. The thymus ages at a faster rate than other organs. By the time healthy adults reach the age of 40, said Dixit, 70% of the thymus is already fatty and nonfunctional. And as it ages, the thymus produces fewer T cells. They found...

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – 12/28/2021 – Cranford, New Jersey, Viona Pharmaceuticals Inc., is voluntarily recalling thirty three (33) lots of Metformin Hydrochloride Extended-Release Tablets, USP 750 mg to the retail level. Reason for the recall is an Out of specification result observed for the said product, Lot number M008132, “N-nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA) (By GC-MS/MS)” test at 17 Month(s), 25°C/60%RH Long-term stability samples. As a precautionary measure firm voluntarily recall all the marketed 33 batches having valid shelf life. This product was manufactured by Cadila Healthcare Limited, Ahmedabad, India for U.S. distribution by Viona Pharmaceuticals Inc. Risk Statement: NDMA is classified as...