This medication could also have anti-aging capabilities, according to some research. In addition to lowering blood glucose levels, metformin may slow down aging in the body. Metformin does this by lowering the risk of some diseases and bodily processes that speed up aging and damage the body.
Slow aging, prevent age-related disease, and increase lifespan. Preliminary studies suggest that metformin may actually slow aging and increase life expectancy by improving the body's responsiveness to insulin, antioxidant effects, and improving blood vessel health.
Slow aging. A 2021 analysis of results from several large studies by a team in Canada and Qatar indicates that metformin may induce anti-aging changes in diabetics. It improved the health of diabetic patients in the study while they were alive, although the effect was modest.
Numerous research groups have reported that metformin has beneficial effects on a variety of inflammatory skin disorders including psoriasis, acanthosis nigricans, acne, hidradenitis suppurativa, and allergic contact dermatitis.
Outside of their work, other scientists are hailing metformin as a wonder drug not only because of its effect on Type 2 diabetes, but because of its emerging prominence in cancer research and potential influence in the lungs of those diagnosed with tuberculosis.
Long-term side effects
Taking metformin can cause vitamin B12 deficiency if you take it for a long time. This can make you feel very tired, breathless and faint, so your doctor may check the vitamin B12 level in your blood. If your vitamin B12 levels become too low, vitamin B12 supplements will help.
Moreover, metformin improves insulin sensitivity and decreases fasting insulin levels in cognitive impairment patients with abnormal glucose metabolism (31). Metformin is a rational treatment choice for pregnant women with T2D, gestational diabetes (GDM), and polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS).
We also determined that metformin exposure leads to increased production of collagen I-III and decreased activation of NF-kB(p65) activity.
Current evidence suggests that the weight change associated with metformin is more likely to be due to decreased caloric intake versus increases in energy expenditure. Metformin appears to impact appetite regulation both directly and indirectly due to its gastrointestinal side effects.
"Depending on how well their disease is controlled, diabetics can have up to 50 times the number of AGEs in their skin as those who don't have diabetes," says Karyn Grossman, MD, a dermatologist in New York City and Santa Monica, CA, and chief of the division of dermatology at St.
Diabetes mellitus has long been recognized as a cause of accelerated aging. As the understanding of the metabolic syndrome has evolved, it has been recognized that the interaction of a panoply of factors in the presence of insulin resistance results in accelerated aging.
14 , 15 Metformin administration ameliorates diabetes by affecting glucose absorption, but long‐term metformin administration is associated with side effects, such as muscle atrophy. Metformin administration might induce muscle atrophy.
Metformin—a safe and inexpensive glucose-lowering drug—is sometimes used to treat non-diabetic people with polycystic ovarian syndrome, for aiding weight loss, and for some people with impaired glucose tolerance, partly on the basis of its purported cardiovascular benefits.
Metformin may also reduce weight by decreasing the amount of visceral fat in the liver and muscle tissue. Visceral fat is stored within the abdominal cavity, which contains several internal organs, including the liver, stomach, and intestines. It can also build up in muscles including the heart muscle.
Here are the other long-term benefits you can expect: You'll have more energy as your body uses insulin more efficiently. Common diabetes-related symptoms, such as blurry vision, being thirsty all of the time, or having to pee a lot, improve or disappear.
Luckily, metformin may start to work within the first week of treatment. In one study of over 700 people, metformin ER lowered blood glucose within the first week of treatment. But it took about 2 months for it to have its full glucose-lowering effect.
Metformin has been shown to help shift stubborn weight and reduce BMI in those with PCOS. It restores hormonal balance by reducing follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), luteinising hormone (LH), and testosterone, all of which are otherwise elevated with the condition.
Recent preclinical and clinical studies have suggested that metformin not only improves chronic inflammation through the improvement of metabolic parameters such as hyperglycemia, insulin resistance and atherogenic dyslipidemia, but also has a direct anti-inflammatory action.
When sugar binds to elastin through the glycation process, this damages the elastin and it becomes rigid and less elastic. Glycation leads to aged, sagging skin but it also causes damage to many vital organs in the body.
Longitudinal clinical studies have indicated that metformin may reduce the risk of cognitive decline in diabetic patients [2, 14]. Metformin treatment improved cognitive function and produce antidepressant effects in diabetic patients with depression [3].
How to check if metformin is working. A medical provider can run a few tests to see how metformin is affecting your health: Blood work can check if your glucose, insulin, and HbA1C levels are in range. If they are, the medication is working.
The administration of metformin, as glucophage retard, at bedtime instead of supper time may improve diabetes control by reducing morning hyperglycemia.
Metformin does cause side effects in some people, but many of these are mild, and are associated with taking the medicine for the first time. Nausea and gastric distress such as stomach pain, gas, bloating, and diarrhea are somewhat common among people starting up on metformin.