I have been on Metformin for my Type 2 Diabetes since I was first diagnosed. I did so primarily because I did NOT want to be some drug companies guinea pig or laboratory experiment. There is now some evidence that my decision was a good one and if you have to be on an oral medication for Type 2 Diabetes, then Metformin is a good choice. Here is a link to a research teams findings on Metformin.
LINK to Research On Metformin
EXCERPTS:
An inexpensive type 2 diabetes drug that has been around for more than 15 years works just as well and has fewer side effects than most new and more expensive classes of medication used to control the chronic disease.
Although there are numerous options in oral medications for type 2 diabetes, an older drug - metformin - may be the best first-line option. There are 11 classes of medication for adult-onset diabetes that are approved to treat high blood sugar. Nine of these classes of medications have been available since 1995 and new classes of have been approved since then. Most people with type 2 diabetes need to take more than one medication to adequately control their blood sugar levels. The most common serious side effect from any of these blood sugar-lowering medications is hypoglycemia, or low blood sugar levels. Other common side effects include gastrointestinal problems, such as nausea or diarrhea.
Researchers in America wanted to know if the newer drugs were any better than the older crop. The research team also looked for the first time at the efficacy of two-drug combinations to treat the chronic disease, which has become increasingly common with more than one-third of diabetes patients needing multiple medications. They reviewed a total of 166 previously published medical studies that examined the effectiveness and safety of diabetes drugs, as well as their impact on long-term outcomes including death, cardiovascular disease, kidney disease and nerve disease. The studies included six classes of medication: metformin (Glucophage, Fortamet and others); second-generation sulfonylureas (Amaryl, Glucotrol and others); thiazolidinediones (Avandia and Actos); meglitinides (Starlix and Prandin); dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP-4) inhibitors (Januvia and Onglynza); and glucagon-like petide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonists (Byetta and Victoza). In general, most of the medications lowered haemoglobin A1C levels (a measure of long-term blood sugar control) by one percentage point. The American Diabetes Association recommends that most people with diabetes keep their A1C levels below 7 percent, so a drop of one percentage point is clinically meaningful. While most drugs reduced blood sugar similarly, metformin was consistently associated with fewer side effects.
(My Input)
As cited in a previous post on drug benefits and side effects, I mentioned an article in the "Life Extension Magazine" in their November 2010 issue concerning the anti-cancer effects of Metformin. A team of British researchers found that WOMEN on a long term metformin regimen (5 years or longer) experienced a 56% reduction in breast cancer risk. It also slashed pancreatic cancer rates by 62% in diabetics and cut lung cancer rates in smokers. There was also evidence that metformin may effectively combat a growing list of cancers including colon, uterus and prostate. The evidence is striking and while Metformin seems to also have anti-cancer benefits in addition to being one of the oldest type 2 diabetes medicines it is also one of the least expensive.
Dan
(Luke 8:47 NKJV) Now when the woman saw that she was not hidden, she came trembling; and falling down before Him, she declared to Him in the presence of all the people the reason she had touched Him and how she was healed immediately.
(Luke 8:48 NKJV) And He said to her, "Daughter, be of good cheer; your faith has made you well. Go in peace."
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