Metformin use in adults with diabetes is associated with lower risk of COVID

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Tuesday September 17, 2020

A large NIH-funded study confirms previous studies that show potential benefits.

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Adults who take metformin as part of their treatment for type 2 diabetes have a reduced risk of dying or developing COVID-19 after COVID-19 infection than those who do not, according to a study funded by the National Institutes of Health. The findings were published in the Journal of Diabetes CareThe study was part of the NIH-funded COVID Prevention Study. This study was part of an NIH-funded initiative NIH-RECOVER: Researching COVID for Enhancing Recovery.

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A previous NIH-supported clinical trial In 2023, treatment with metformin (commonly used to control blood sugar) was shown to reduce the risk of COVID-19 by up to 40% in nearly 1,300 overweight or obese American adults, many of whom did not have diabetes. Researchers looked at electronic health record data from nearly 38 million Americans in two large databases to see if metformin had the same effect on people with diabetes. The researchers compared the records of 75,996 patients with type 2 diabetes who were taking metformin to those taking 13,336 other diabetes medications. The researchers looked specifically at the number of patients who died within six months or were diagnosed with long COVID. The researchers found that people taking metformin were 13 to 21 percent less likely to die or develop long COVID than the group not taking metformin.

Scientists don't know how metformin can prevent COVID, but speculate that it may be possible through several mechanisms, including reducing inflammation, viral levels, and inhibiting the production of disease-related proteins.

Metformin has a number of advantages.

Side effects It should only be taken with caution under certain conditions. People should only take this medicine under the supervision of a doctor for these and other reasons. Long COVID

COVID-19 is characterized by a range of symptoms, including brain fog and chronic fatigue. These can persist for weeks, months, or even years after infection with SARS-CoV-2. Although the number of COVID-19 cases has declined, it still affects millions of people. The NIH funded this study under grant number OT2HL161847, as part of the RECOVER research program. The study was also supported by grants K23 DK124654, UM1TR004406, OT2HL16184701, and R01 AG056479. Visit RECOVER for more information.

https://recovercovid.org .What are you waiting for?

Interviews about the article are available with David C. Goff, MD, PhD, director of cardiovascular sciences, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, and RECOVER's lead epidemiologist.

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Johnson SG, Abedian S, Sturmer T, et al.

RECOVER Program EHR-Based Cohort Study of the Prevalence of Metformin Use in Adults with Diabetes and Long COVID. Diabetes care [2024] . DOI:10.2337/dca24-0032 Why RECOVER?

The National Institutes of Health Researching CoVID to Enhance Recover (NIH-RECOVER) initiative brings together clinicians, researchers, caregivers, and patients with community members and other stakeholders to diagnose and treat COVID. RECOVER has created the largest and most diverse group of long-COVID participants in the world. The RECOVER trials are also testing potential interventions across five symptom domains. Visit the website for more information. recoveryCOVID.org .HHS COVID Coordination:

The work that is being done here is part of a larger project. National Action Plan for Research The government's response to the terrorist attacks is described in (PDF, 1.33 MB). Memorandum from the President Directing the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services to respond fully and effectively to Long COVID. The team was led by Deputy Secretary for Health Admiral Rachel Levine. Plan and its support Service and Support for COVID-19 Long-Term Impacts Report Long COVID (PDF, 1.66 MB) lays the foundation for progress in preventing, diagnosing, treating and providing services to those who suffer from it. The National Institutes of Health:

The NIH is the medical research agency of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. It is comprised of 27 institutes and centers. The NIH, the nation's medical research agency, is a component of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. It is responsible for conducting basic, translational, and clinical medical research and investigating causes, treatments, and cures. Visit the NIH for more information about its programs. www.nih.gov .NIH…Transforming discovery into health

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