Recent Longevity News for the seven days ending 6/10/09.  You should consult your doctor if you are taking any medications.

How to Stay Sharp in Old Age - WebMD, 6/9/09 - "People who exercised moderately to vigorously at least once a week were 31% more likely to maintain their cognitive function. People with at least a high school education were nearly three times as likely to stay sharp. Nonsmokers were nearly twice as likely to keep their mental edge"

Can Omega-3 Fatty Acids Prevent Depression In Coronary Heart Disease? - Science Daily, 6/9/09 - "The prevalence of depression ranged from 23% in participants in the lowest tertile of omega –3 fatty acids (< 3.1% of total blood fatty acids) to 13% in participants in the highest tertile ( >4.3% of total blood fatty acids; p for trend = 0.004). Each unit decrease in EPA + DHA was inversely associated with depressive symptoms as a continuous variable, and these associations persisted after adjustment for age, sex and race. Similarly, each SD decrease in EPA + DHA was associated with significantly greater odds of depression as a dichotomous variable (Patient Health Questionnaire score >10)" - See Mega Twin EPA at Amazon.com and Jarrow Max DHA at Amazon.com.

Pioglitazone Slows Progression of Carotid Atherosclerosis - Medscape, 6/9/09 - "A substudy of ACTOS Now, a diabetes prevention trial comparing pioglitazone (Actos, Takeda Pharmaceuticals) with placebo on risk and incidence of diabetes development, showed that active treatment with the thiazolidinedione slowed the rate of progression of carotid artery intima media thickness (CIMT) by 38% during a 3-year study period" - See Pioglitazone at OffshoreRx1.com.

Too little sleep may raise blood pressure - MSNBC, 6/9/09 - "The study ... found missing an average one hour of sleep over five years raised the risk of developing high blood pressure by 37 percent"

Ignored cholesterol blamed for heart attacks - MSNBC, 6/9/09 - "Statins — taken by millions to cut heart attack and stroke risk — do not affect lipoprotein (a) ... people with the highest liporotein (a) levels were two to three times more likely to have a heart attack than those with the lowest levels ... Niacin, a vitamin often prescribed generically to lower cholesterol, also lowers lipoprotein (a) levels. It can cause uncomfortable flushing, however. Aspirin can also lower lipoprotein (a) levels" - [WebMD]

Insulin Changes Occur Years Before Diabetes - WebMD, 6/9/09 - "A steady trend in fasting glucose as early as 13 years prior to the diagnosis of type 2 diabetes, with fasting glucose levels rising rapidly three years before diagnosis"

Metformin Linked to B12 Deficiency - WebMD, 6/8/09 - "40% of type 2 diabetes patients using metformin had vitamin B12 deficiency or were in the low-normal range for the essential vitamin. And 77% of metformin users with vitamin B12 deficiency also had peripheral neuropathy, a common form of nerve damage associated with type 2 diabetes" - See vitamin B-12 at Amazon.com.

Depression Raises Risk for Type 2 Diabetes - WebMD, 6/8/09 - "Depressed participants who were not being treated had significantly greater insulin resistance than study participants who were not depressed. But treatment for depression appeared to improve insulin sensitivity ... There are several theories about how depression may contribute to type 2 diabetes, but the most widely cited theory involves the stress hormone cortisol ... Cortisol is a key player in blood sugar metabolism and insulin sensitivity ... High cortisol levels are also associated with increased fat deposits around the abdomen, or belly fat, which is a risk factor for type 2 diabetes"

Gestational Diabetes: Link to Sugary Drinks? - WebMD, 6/8/09 - "Compared to women who reported drinking less than one sugar-sweetened beverage per month, women who reported drinking five or more sugar-sweetened beverages per month were 22% more likely to report gestational diabetes. Colas were the only sugar-sweetened beverages linked to gestational diabetes"

Long And Short Sleep Durations Are Associated With Increased Risk For Diabetes - Science Daily, 6/8/09 - "the adjusted odds ratio was 1.24 for diabetes associated with short sleep (five hours per night or less) and 1.48 for diabetes associated with long sleep (nine or more hours per night)"

Sleep Restriction Results In Weight Gain Despite Decreases In Appetite And Consumption - Science Daily, 6/8/09 - "in the presence of free access to food, sleep restricted subjects reported decrease in appetite, food cravings and food consumption; however, they gained weight over the course of the study. Thus, the finding suggests that energy intake exceeded energy expenditure during the sleep restriction ... Results indicate that people whose sleep was restricted experienced an average weight gain of 1.31 kilograms over the 11 days of the study"

Ginkgo Reduces Neuropathic Pain In Animal Studies - Science Daily, 6/5/09 - "For both cold and pressure stimuli, pain responses were significantly reduced in ginkgo-treated rats. This was so on before-and-after treatment comparisons and on comparison of ginkgo-treated versus placebo-treated animals. The higher the dose of ginkgo extract, the greater the pain-relieving effect. Pain was reduced for at least two hours after ginkgo treatment" - See Ginkgo biloba at Amazon.com.

Parkinson's Disease Associated With Pesticide Exposure In French Farm Workers - Science Daily, 6/5/09 - "PD patients had been exposed to pesticides through their work more frequently and for a greater number of years/hours than those without PD. Among the three main classes of pesticides (insecticides, herbicides, fungicides), researchers found the largest difference for insecticides: men who had used insecticides had a two-fold increase in the risk of PD"

Common Diabetes Drug May 'Revolutionize' Cancer Therapies: Unexpected T-cell Breakthrough - Science Daily, 6/4/09 - "We used metformin, which is known to operate on fatty-acid metabolism, to enhance this process, and have shown experimentally in mice that metformin increases T-cell memory as well as the ensuing protective immunity of an experimental anti-cancer vaccine"

'Cancer hope' from diabetes drug - BBC News, 6/3/09 - "Tests on mice found metformin, used for Type 2 diabetes, helps the body's T-cells work more effectively"

Diet May Reduce Risk Of Prostate Cancer - Science Daily, 6/3/09 - "a diet low in fat, high in vegetables and fruit, and avoiding high energy intake, excessive meat, and excessive dairy products and calcium intake may be helpful in preventing prostate cancer, and for patients diagnosed with prostate cancer ... Specifically, consumption of tomatoes, cauliflower, broccoli, green tea, and vitamins including Vitamin E and selenium seemed to propose a decreased risk of prostate cancer. Consumption of highly processed or charcoaled meats, dairy products, and fats seemed to be correlated with prostate cancer"

Antioxidant vitamins may protect against female cancer - Nutra USA, 6/3/09 - "for every 1,000 microgram increase per 1,000 kcal of diet of beta-carotene was associated with a 12 per cent reduction in the risk of endometrial cancer ... Similarly, for every 50 milligram increase per 1,000 kcal of vitamin C the risk of endometrial cancer was reduced by 15 per cent, and for every 5 milligram increase per 1,000 kcal of vitamin E the risk of endometrial cancer was reduced by 9 per cent" - [Abstract]

Abstracts from this week's Doctor's Guide Nutrition/Dietetics plus abstracts from my RSS feeds (Click here for the journals, the PubMed ones at the top):

Conjugated Linoleic Acids Reduce Body Fat in Healthy Postmenopausal Women - J Nutr. 2009 Jun 3 - "Isomers of conjugated linoleic acids (CLA) reduce fat mass (FM) and increase insulin sensitivity in some, but not all, murine studies. In humans, this effect is still debatable. In this study, we compared the effect of 2 CLA supplements on total and regional FM assessed by dual energy X-ray absorptiometry, changes in serum insulin and glucose concentrations, and adipose tissue (AT) gene expression in humans. In a double-blind, parallel, 16-wk intervention, we randomized 81 healthy postmenopausal women to 1) 5.5 g/d of 40/40% of cis9,trans11-CLA (c9,t11-CLA) and trans10,cis12-CLA (t10,c12-CLA) (CLA-mix); 2) cis9, trans11-CLA (c9,t11-CLA); or 3) control (olive oil) ... The CLA-mix group had less total FM (4%) and lower-body FM (7%) than the control (P = 0.02 and < 0.001, respectively). Post hoc analyses showed that serum insulin concentrations were greater in the CLA-mix group (34%) than the control group (P = 0.02) in the highest waist circumference tertile only ... In conclusion, a 50:50 mixture of c9,t11- and t10,c12-CLA isomers resulted in less total and lower-body FM in postmenopausal women and greater serum insulin concentrations in the highest waist circumference tertile" - See conjugated linoleic acid at Amazon.com.  As with all CLA studies, I wish they would state brand names instead of leaving it to the reader to figure out which mixture corresponds to which brand name.  I've seen studies where some isomers increase insulin sensitivity while others have the opposite effect.

A new herbal combination, Etana, for enhancing erectile function: an efficacy and safety study in animals - Int J Impot Res. 2009 Jun 4 - "a new herbal combination called Etana that is composed of five herbal extracts including Panax quinquelotius (Ginseng), Eurycoma longifolia (Tongkat Ali), Epimedium grandiflorum (Horny goat weed), Centella asiatica (Gotu Kola) and flower pollen extracts. Most of the above-mentioned extracts have a long historical and traditional use for erectile dysfunction (ED) ... penile erection index (PEI) ... At a 7.5 mg kg(-1) single dose, the percentage of responding rats was 53+/-7 with a PEI of 337+/-72 compared with 17+/-6 with a PEI of 30+/-10 for control animals. This PEI was significantly (P<0.001) higher than each single component and than the sum of any two herbal components of Etana. When compared with sildenafil citrate, Etana induced more pronounced PEI than 0.36 mg kg(-1), but similar to 0.71 mg kg(-1) of sildenafil. Furthermore, full acute and sub-acute toxicity studies showed no toxic effects of Etana. In conclusion, this study describes a new and safe combination of herbal components that enhance erectile function in male rats"

Low free testosterone levels are associated with prevalence and incidence of depressive Symptoms in older men - Clin Endocrinol (Oxf). 2009 May 25 - "Free testosterone levels below 170 pmol/L are associated with depressive symptoms while free testosterone levels below 220 pmol/L (lowest quintile of our population) predict the onset of depressive symptoms"

Antioxidant vitamins and the risk of endometrial cancer: a dose-response meta-analysis - Cancer Causes Control. 2009 Jul;20(5):699-711 - "Based on case-control data, the random-effects summary odds ratios (OR) were, for beta-carotene: 0.88 (95% CI: 0.79-0.98) per 1,000 mcg/1,000 kcal (I2: 77.7%; p < 0.01); for vitamin C: 0.85 (95% CI: 0.73-0.98) per 50 mg/1,000 kcal (I2: 66.1%; p < 0.01); and, for vitamin E: 0.91 (95% CI: 0.84-0.99) per 5 mg/1,000 kcal (I2: 0.0%; p: 0.45)"

Neat Tech Stuff :

Health Focus (Metformin):

News & Research:

• metformin at The Antiaging Store
• Cross-link Breakers and Inhibitors - International Anti-Aging Systems - "metformin has a dual effect. It lowers blood glucose, (a well-known and established activity) plus, as new research is revealing, it is an effective inhibitor of cross-linking" - See metformin at The Antiaging Store.
• Metformin: The Most Effective Life Extension Drug is Also a Safe, Effective Weight Loss Drug - IAS Bulletin - "Metformin is also one of the most promising anti-aging, life extending drugs available"
• Glucophage (metformin) - rxlist.com - "With metformin therapy, insulin secretion remains unchanged while fasting insulin levels and day-long plasma insulin response may actually decrease"
• Metabolic syndrome - CNN - "Doctors believe that the underlying cause of this cluster of risk factors is resistance to insulin ... Doctors use thiazolidinediones and metformin (Glucophage, Glucophage XR) to decrease insulin resistance in people with diabetes. These medications may help improve insulin metabolism in people with metabolic syndrome"
• Metformin (Glucophage) and bipolar - psycheducation.org - "In some cases this medication can decrease abdominal obesity ... Between 10 and 30% of people taking metformin have a decrease in their B12 levels ... this can show up is "anemia""
• Obesity and Fatty Liver disease - MedicineNet.com - "Doctors also are using medications to treat non alcoholic fatty liver disease. For example, insulin-sensitizing agents, such as the thiazolidinediones, pioglitazone (Actos) and rosiglitazone (Avandia), and metformin (Glucophage) not only help to control blood glucose in patients with diabetes, but they also improve enzyme levels in patients with non alcoholic fatty liver disease"
• Metformin May Have Novel Role as Breast Cancer Drug - oncologystat.com - "In one recent hypothesis-generating metformin study, Dr. Josie M.M. Evans and coworkers at the University of Dundee (Scotland) evaluated roughly 11,876 patients with newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes, of whom 923 were subsequently diagnosed with cancer. The adjusted relative risk of malignancy in long-term metformin users was reduced by 44%, compared with nonusers ... In another population-based cohort study ... In another population-based cohort study, investigators at the Institute of Health Economics, Edmonton, Alta., identified 10,309 Saskatchewanians with type 2 diabetes. During an average of 5.4 years of follow-up after their diagnosis, 407 cancer-related deaths occurred. Cancer mortality was 3.5% in metformin users, 5.8% in insulin users, and 4.9% in individuals on sulfonylurea monotherapy. After adjustment in a multivariate Cox regression analysis, cancer-related mortality was 30% greater in sulfonylurea users than in metformin users. In insulin users, it was 90% higher than in metformin users" - See Metformin at OffshoreRx1.com.
• Metformin Linked to B12 Deficiency - WebMD, 6/8/09 - "40% of type 2 diabetes patients using metformin had vitamin B12 deficiency or were in the low-normal range for the essential vitamin. And 77% of metformin users with vitamin B12 deficiency also had peripheral neuropathy, a common form of nerve damage associated with type 2 diabetes" - See vitamin B-12 at Amazon.com.
• Common Diabetes Drug May 'Revolutionize' Cancer Therapies: Unexpected T-cell Breakthrough - Science Daily, 6/4/09 - "We used metformin, which is known to operate on fatty-acid metabolism, to enhance this process, and have shown experimentally in mice that metformin increases T-cell memory as well as the ensuing protective immunity of an experimental anti-cancer vaccine"
• 'Cancer hope' from diabetes drug - BBC News, 6/3/09 - "Tests on mice found metformin, used for Type 2 diabetes, helps the body's T-cells work more effectively"
• Old Diabetes Drug Teaches Experts New Tricks - Science Daily, 5/20/09
• Metformin May Have Long-Term Benefits in Patients With Type 2 Diabetes - Medscape, 4/10/09 - "Compared with the placebo group, the metformin group had prevention of weight gain (mean weight gain, −3.07 kg; range, −3.85 to −2.28 kg; P < .001), better glycemic control (mean reduction in glycated hemoglobin level, 0.4%; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.55 – 0.25; P < .001), and lower insulin requirements (mean reduction, 19.63 U/day; 95% CI, 24.91 – 14.36 U/day; P < .001) ... Add-on metformin improved glycemic control and reduced body weight and insulin requirements"
• Do Diabetes Drugs Affect Heart Health? - WebMD, 10/27/08 - "metformin seemed to be associated with a decrease in heart disease and heart-related deaths ... researchers point to metformin as a drug that is "moderately protective" and Avandia as "possibly harmful." ... Avandia, which works well to reduce blood sugar, was associated with a higher risk of heart attack. However, researchers in that case also acknowledged that their conclusions were limited by a lack of access to original clinical data"
• Metformin May Enhance Weight Loss in Female Adolescents - Medscape, 7/8/08 - "a significant decrease in body mass index was seen in females receiving metformin but not in those taking placebo. Sixty percent of participants who were metformin-adherent and who decreased food portion sizes had a decrease in body mass index of more than 5%" - See metformin at OffshoreRx1.com.
• Metformin Increases Pathologic Complete Response Rates In Breast Cancer Patients With Diabetes - Science Daily, 6/2/08 - "the pathologic complete response rates in the diabetic breast cancer patients taking Metformin was 24 percent, three times higher than the rates in diabetic patients not taking the drug, 8 percent. In the non-diabetic women, the pathologic complete response rate was 16 percent"
• Metformin Alone or With Insulin May Be Safe in Gestational Diabetes - Medscape, 5/7/08
• No Benefits Seen With Metformin for Insulin Resistance in Obese Children: Presented at ECE - Doctor's Guide, 5/7/08
• Thiazolidinediones May Act Against Psoriasis - Medscape, 3/26/08 - "The adjusted odds ratio for a first time diagnosis of psoriasis in current users of five or more prescriptions for thiazolidinediones was 0.33, as compared to no use. The adjusted odds ratio for metformin was 0.77" - See pioglitazone at OffshoreRx1.com.
• Metformin May Delay Onset of Diabetes in At-Risk Subjects - Medscape, 3/24/08 - "Metformin treatment, compared with placebo or no treatment, reduced body mass index by 5.3%, fasting glucose by 4.5%, fasting insulin by 14.4%, and calculated insulin resistance by 22.6% ... Metformin treatment also reduced triglycerides and LDL cholesterol by 5.3% and 5.6%, respectively, and increased HDL cholesterol by 5.0% ... The incidence of new-onset diabetes was reduced by 40% (odds ratio, 0.6), with an absolute risk reduction of 6%, during a mean trial duration of 1.8 years" - I don't have diabetes yet still take 1,000 mg of metformin per day.  I still feel high blood sugar and advanced glycation end products are major causes of aging.  See metformin at OffshoreRx1.com.
• Insulin-Resistant Cardiomyopathy - Medscape, 1/15/08 - "Increasing evidence points to insulin resistance as a primary etiologic factor in the development of nonischemic heart failure (HF) ... Epidemiological evidence suggests more than simply a correlation between insulin resistance and HF, demonstrating that insulin resistance precedes HF rather than occurring as a consequence of it ... Medications that work primarily by improving insulin sensitivity (metformin, thiazolidinediones [TZDs]) might theoretically be the most attractive therapies" - See my web page on Insulin and Aging.
• Metformin, Lifestyle Changes Effective in Antipsychotic-Induced Weight Gain - Medscape, 1/10/08 - "Lifestyle intervention plus metformin had the greatest effect on weight loss, and metformin alone was more effective than lifestyle intervention plus placebo in increasing insulin sensitivity and reversing weight gain in these patients with schizophrenia and significant weight gain from atypical antipsychotic agents"
• Prevention of Type 2 diabetes: fact or fiction? - Expert Opin Pharmacother. 2007 Dec;8(18):3147-58 - "The Diabetes Prevention Program revealed that metformin 850 mg b.i.d. reduced the risk of diabetes by 31%"
• Drug May Help Pregnant Women with Insulin Resistance - Doctor's Guide, 9/6/07 - "metformin, the most commonly prescribed anti-diabetes drug, could potentially improve pregnancy outcomes in women with insulin resistance"
• Diabetes Drug Kills Some Cancer Cells - Science Daily, 8/14/07 - "Four weeks later, the p53-deficient tumors in mice treated with metformin were half the size of the p53 deficient tumors in control mice"
• Older Is Better: Top Ten Comparison Of Diabetes Drugs Give Metformin Top Grade - Science Daily, 7/25/07 - "Metformin was found to lower LDL or bad cholesterol by about 10 milligrams per deciliter of blood, while newer medications studied, such as pioglitazone (Actos) and rosiglitazone (Avandia), or so-called thiazolidinediones, were found to have the opposite effect, increasing levels of the artery-clogging fat by the same amount"
• Old Diabetes Drug Has Advantages - WebMD, 7/16/07
• The Role of Metformin and Pioglitazone in Early Combination Treatment - Medscape, 2/6/07 - "Both metformin and pioglitazone have positive effects on cardiovascular risk factors. Pioglitazone may reduce the progression to type 2 diabetes by effects on both pancreatic beta-cell deterioration and insulin resistance"
• Diabetes Drugs Compared - WebMD, 12/6/06 - "Avandia had the lowest treatment failure rate -- 15% -- compared with 21% for Glucophage and 34% for Micronase"
• Drug 'Avandia' May Prevent Diabetes - WebMD, 9/15/06 - "People at high risk for diabetes who took the drug Avandia reduced their risk of developing the disease by 60% in the three-year trial ... taking the drug metformin (Glucophage), which is already widely used for diabetes prevention, was associated with a 31% reduction in disease risk -- about half that seen in the Avandia study"
• New EASD/ADA Consensus Recommends Metformin at Diagnosis of Type 2 Diabetes - Doctor's Guide, 9/13/06 - "metformin significantly reduced the risk of fatal and non-fatal cardiovascular events in patients with type 2 diabetes(3). The study showed a 36% reduction in all-cause mortality, a 42% reduction in diabetes-related mortality and a 32% reduction in diabetes-related endpoints"
• FDA Approves Avandamet (Rosiglitazone Maleate and Metformin HCl) as Initial Therapy in the Treatment of Type 2 Diabetes - Doctor's Guide, 7/11/06
• Metformin Induces Long-Term Weight Loss in Teens - Doctor's Guide, 6/28/06 - "Metformin can induce long-term weight loss in obese, non-diabetic adolescents, and could possibly be useful in a regimen to help achieve weight loss in adolescents, who may have developed type 2 diabetes type due to overweight"
• Depression Drugs May Up Diabetes Risk - WebMD, 6/12/06 - "taking antidepressants was associated with a two- to threefold increase in risk ... The increase was not seen, however, in people at high risk for diabetes who were taking both antidepressants and the blood-sugar-regulating drug glucophage (metformin)"
• Can Metformin Help Teenagers With PCO? - Medscape, 4/19/06
• Metformin and Lifestyle Intervention May Help Prevent Metabolic Syndrome - Medscape, 4/18/06 - "Participants were randomly assigned to standard treatment with placebo pill; metformin, 850 mg, twice daily; or intensive lifestyle management with placebo pill and followed up for a mean of 3.2 years ... Intensive lifestyle consisted of reduction of at least 7% of body weight, low-calorie and low-fat diet, and moderate physical activity at least 150 minutes weekly ... In those with prevalent MS at baseline ... At 3 years 18% of the placebo, 23% of the metformin, and 38% of the lifestyle intervention group no longer had the MS, with lifestyle intervention only showing a significant effect vs placebo"
• Newer Diabetic Meds Cost More, But Users Have Fewer Hospital Visits - Science Daily, 3/24/06 - "Taking a TZD as instructed was the strongest predictor of a reduced risk of hospitalization and decreased healthcare costs in this group of patients ... Overall, the participants who took a TZD spent an average of $76 to $150 less per month on total healthcare costs" - See OffshoreRx1.com.
• Metformin-Associated Lactic Acidosis Can Be Aggravated by Antihypertensive Drugs in Diabetics - Doctor's Guide, 11/14/05 - "Concurrent use of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEIs) or angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs) and metformin could aggravate the risk of metformin-associated lactic acidosis"
• Metformin Increases Ovulation in Women with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome Better than Clomiphene Citrate - Doctor's Guide, 10/21/05
• Metformin May Be Safer Than Sulfonylureas in Patients With Diabetes and Heart Failure - Medscape, 9/30/05
• ACTOplus Met Approved by the FDA for Type 2 Diabetes - Doctor's Guide, 8/30/05 - "ACTOplus met combines ACTOS (pioglitazone HCl) and metformin, two widely used diabetes medications, in a single tablet"
• Review: Metformin a Top Diabetes Drug - WebMD, 7/19/05 - "Though many of the newer drugs may promote weight gain, metformin has been associated with modest weight losses in people with type 2 diabetes"
• Metformin Works Well as Monotherapy in Type 2 Diabetes Especially in Overweight or Obese Patients - Doctor's Guide, 7/15/05
• Metformin May Be Best First-Line Therapy for Anovulatory Women With Polycystic Ovary Syndrome - Medscape, 4/29/05
• Metformin and Lifestyle Intervention May Help Prevent Metabolic Syndrome - Medscape, 4/18/05 - "metformin therapy (850 mg twice daily) ... Compared with placebo, the lifestyle group had 41% lower incidence of the MS (P < .001), and the metformin group had 17% lower incidence"
• Vitamin B12 Status of Patients Treated With Metformin - Medscape, 2/17/05 - "Patients exposed to long-term metformin therapy had 26.7% lower cobalamin, 21.6% lower holotranscobalamin and 9.7% higher HCy serum concentrations than control subjects. Such changes indicate a potential risk for development of vitamin B12 deficiency"
• Pioglitazone and Metformin Similarly Effective in Reducing HbA1c - Medscape, 12/13/04
• Research Highlights Hormonal Control of Cardiovascular Functions - Doctor's Guide, 8/17/04 - "The Patients who received metformin experienced an improvement in several endothelial function markers, including weight, fasting plasma glucose, soluble intercellular adhesion molecule and soluble vascular cell adhesion molecule"
• Metformin Shows Promise for Diabetes Prevention, but Further Studies Needed - Doctor's Guide, 6/24/04 - "After 1 year of treatment, patients receiving metformin experienced a significantly lower increase in fasting blood glucose levels compared with the placebo group (3.6 mg/dL vs. 7.2 mg/dL, P < .05)"
• Metformin Can Prevent Girls with Insulin Resistance from Developing Polycystic Ovary Syndrome - Doctor's Guide, 6/21/04 - "Early use of metformin in girls with insulin resistance can decrease the progression to polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), a common female endocrine disorder"
• Metformin, Diet/Exercise Comparable at Cutting Diabetes Risk in Women With GDM - Medscape, 6/7/04 - "in women who reported a history of GDM, either metformin or lifestyle changes reduced the relative risk of later type 2 DM by about 54%. In contrast, the relative risk reduction associated with metformin was 14% in women with no history of GDM compared with 51% for lifestyle changes"
• Metformin May Improve Cardiac Autonomic System Balance in Overweight Patients with Type 2 Diabetes - Doctor's Guide, 3/15/04
• Metformin Improves Metabolic Control and Other Physiologic Variables in Type 2 Diabetes - Doctor's Guide, 2/25/04
• What You Don’t Know About Blood Sugar - Life Extension Magazine, 1/04 - "it now appears that optimal fasting blood glucose levels should probably be under 86 mg/dL ... Chromium supplements have been shown to reduce blood glucose significantly.70-74 The dose used in human studies ranges from 200 to 1000 mcg of elemental chromium a day, with best results occurring when 400 mcg or more of chromium is taken daily ... Nondiabetics using metformin may start off at 500 mg a day and gradually build up to 1000-1500 mg a day. The objective is not to take so much metformin as to induce a hypoglycemic state" - See iHerb or Vitacost chromium products.
• Metformin and Carbohydrate-Modified Diet May Help Sustain Weight Loss - Doctor's Guide, 12/16/03
• No Apparent Increased Risk of Lactic Acidosis Found In Type 2 Diabetics Who Take Metformin - Doctor's Guide, 11/25/03
• Metformin May Improve Metabolic Control in Adolescents with Type I Diabetes - Doctor's Guide, 11/21/03
• Metformin Decreases Serum C-Reactive Protein in Women With Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome - Doctor's Guide, 10/28/03
• Metformin Seems to be Effective for Anovulation in Women with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome - Doctor's Guide, 10/27/03
• Metformin Treatment Leads to Increased Homocysteine, Decreased Vitamin B12 and Folate in Type 2 Diabetes Patients - Doctor's Guide, 10/20/03 - "Homocysteine requires folate and vitamin B12 to be properly metabolised, and serum vitamin B12 levels are known to decrease during metformin treatment ... compared with placebo, metformin was associated with an increase in serum homocysteine levels (4% [0.2 to 8 µmol L-1]; P=0.039), and decreases in vitamin B12 (-14% [-4.2 to -24 pmol L-1]; P<0.0001) and folate (-7%"
• Uses of Metformin May Extend Beyond Patients with Type 2 Diabetes - Doctor's Guide, 9/4/03 - "In type 2 diabetics, metformin appears to decrease plasma fasting glucose and HbA1c levels without causing weight gain. Metformin may also have a positive influence on a variety of cardiovascular risk factors and may be useful in preventing diabetes in overweight individuals with mild hyperglycaemia ... while further study is necessary before more widespread use is encouraged, the role of metformin may be expanded for glucose control in children and teenagers with type 2 diabetes, in non-diabetic women with PCOS, and to prevent progression to diabetes"
• FDA Approves New Avandamet (Rosiglitazone Maleate/Metformin) Dosage Strengths For Treatment Of Type 2 Diabetes - Doctor's Guide, 8/27/03
• Lifestyle Modification, Metformin Effective Prevention for Type 2 Diabetes - Doctor's Guide, 7/31/03 - "1,073 patients were prescribed 850 mg metformin twice daily, 1,082 had placebo twice daily, and 1,079 were prescribed an intensive program of lifestyle modification ... Incidence of diabetes was 58% lower ... in the lifestyle intervention group and 31% lower ... in the metformin group than in the placebo group"
• Inappropriate Metformin Use Frequent in Hospitalised Patients - Doctor's Guide, 6/16/03
• BioMarker Pharmaceuticals Develops Anti-Aging Therapy - LE Magazine cover story, 6/03 - "The BioMarker scientists found that all the glucoregulatory agents reproduced some of the gene expression effects of CR [calorie restriction], but that metformin was the undisputed star of the group, being twice as effective as the others in reproducing the effects of CR"
• Pioglitazone/Sulfonylurea And Pioglitazone/Metaformin Combinations Both Effective For Reducing Very Low Density Lipoproteins And Free Fatty Acids - Doctor's Guide, 5/21/03
• Repaglinide + Metformin Superior to Nateglinide + Metformin in Treating Type 2 Diabetes - Doctor's Guide, 5/18/03
• Benfluorex Improves Glycaemic Control In Type 2 Diabetes - Doctor's Guide, 4/29/03 - "Although benfluorex may be less potent than metformin, it lowers haemoglobin A1C (HbA1C) and fasting plasma glucose levels and is well tolerated"
• Metformin-Glibenclamide Combination Is More Effective Than Monotherapy In Type 2 Diabetes - Doctor's Guide, 4/24/03
• Pioglitazone Improves Insulin Sensitivity Compared To Metformin - Doctor's Guide, 4/22/03
• Combination Therapy Improves Management of Obese Diabetics - Doctor's Guide, 4/15/03 - "Adding rosiglitazone, an insulin-sensitising thiazolidinedione drug, to metformin, a biguanide agent, greatly enhances the management of obese type 2 diabetic patients who are inadequately controlled by metformin alone"
• Metformin Concentrations In Erythrocytes Have Clinical Implications - Doctor's Guide, 3/25/03
• Diabetes Prevention Efforts Achieving Good Results - Doctor's Guide, 2/17/03 - "Strategies that may prevent progression to diabetes include weight reduction, exercise, insulin secretagogues, metformin, glucosidase inhibitors and thiazolidinedione ... Diabetes risk was reduced by 31% among patients who were treated with metformin (which tends to restrain weight gain) and by 58% for patients who improved their lifestyle ... Losing even 5 to 7 kg [11 to 15.4 pounds] "has an enormous benefit" that was also apparent in cholesterol and other cardiovascular risk factor reductions"
• Glyburide/Metformin Combination Effective For Type 2 Diabetes Inadequately Controlled By Sulphonylurea - Doctor's Guide, 2/3/02
• Rosiglitazone And Metformin Have Different Effects In Diabetics - Doctor's Guide, 1/29/03
• Metformin May Help Teen Type 1 Diabetics - WebMD, 1/17/03
• Metformin May Benefit Type 1 Teen Diabetics - Medscape, 1/14/03
• Tablet Combining Glibenclamide And Metformin Improves Glycaemic Control - Doctor's Guide, 12/7/02
• Bristol-Myers Squibb Receives FDA Approval Of Metaglip (Glipizide/ Metformin HCl Tablets) For Type 2 Diabetes - Doctor's Guide, 10/22/02
• FDA Approves GlaxoSmithKline's Avandamet™ (rosiglitazone maleate and metformin HCl), The Latest Advancement in the Treatment of Type 2 Diabetes - Doctor's Guide, 10/11/02
• FDA Approves New Indication for Glucovance® (Glyburide and Metformin HCL Tablets) A Leading Oral Antidiabetic Now Approved for Use With TZDs - Doctor's Guide, 10/11/02
• Insulin-Lowering Agent [metformin] Curbs Hyperandrogenism And Polycystic Ovary Syndrome Symptoms - Doctor's Guide, 10/11/02
• Anti-Hyperglycemic Metformin Equally Effective in Extended-Release and Immediate-Release Formulations - Doctor's Guide, 9/26/02
• Extended-Release Metformin Formulation Shows Promise as Once Daily Regimen - Doctor's Guide, 9/25/02
• What is hyperinsulimia? How is it controlled? What are the tests? What is Glucophage? - Dr. Weil, 9/3/02 - "If you take Glucophage, your physician should also monitor your liver function regularly and check blood counts and vitamin B12 levels"
• Single-Tablet Metformin-Glibenclamide Provides Type 2 Diabetics Better Glycaemic Control Than Either Drug Alone - Doctor's Guide, 8/28/02
• Metformin Therapy Lowers Plasma Levels Of Enzyme Linked To Endothelial Dysfunction In Type 2 Diabetics - Doctor's Guide, 7/24/02
• Combined Insulin Glargine and Metformin Therapy Treats Obese Type 2 Diabetics - Doctor's Guide, 6/18/02
• Metformin Useful in Teens with Poorly Controlled Type 1 Diabetes - Doctor's Guide, 6/18/02
• Metformin Decreases Cardiovascular Events in Diabetics - Doctor's Guide, 6/18/02
• Rosiglitazone Added to Glyburide/Metformin Helps Tough-to-Treat Diabetics - Doctor's Guide, 6/16/02
• Will New Drugs Head Off Diabetes? - WebMD, 5/10/02 - ""We think of IGT [impaired glucose tolerance] and diabetes as parts of what we call the metabolic syndrome. This is something that affects one in four Americans -- and up to half of the U.S. population by age 60. What we have to target is high blood sugar, whether it is IGT or type 2 diabetes." ... One diabetes drug, Glucophage, has already been shown to help prevent type 2 diabetes in people with IGT. But that same study, published in the February 2002 issue of The New England Journal of Medicine, showed that exercise was even better than Glucophage at preventing diabetes"
• Complementary Effects of Avandia and Metformin Significantly Improved Glycemic Control in High-Risk Diabetes Patients - Doctor's Guide, 4/30/02
• Troglitazone Improves Cardiovascular Risk Factors Better Than Metformin In Type 2 Diabetes - Doctor's Guide, 3/11/02 - See troglitazone
• Diabetes Drug [Glucophage] Helps Prevent Miscarriage - WebMD, 3/1/02
• Metformin Shows Promise in Preventing Miscarriage in Polycystic Ovary Syndrome - Doctor's Guide, 2/27/02
• The Skinny on Fat Drugs - WebMD, 2/20/02 - "This diabetes drug improves sensitivity to insulin. It seems to prevent weight gain in adults. Studies are under way in overweight people who do not have diabetes. Side effects of Glucophage include nausea, flatulence, bloating, and diarrhea at the beginning of treatment. It can also cause a serious problem -- lactic acidosis -- in some patients with underlying disease"
• How to Stop Diabetes In Its Tracks - WebMD, 2/6/02 - "the study found that the diet/exercise program cut diabetes risk by 58%. Glucophage was significantly less effective, but still decreased risk by 31% ... The diet was centered around lowering fat intake to less than 25% of overall calories ... the 30-minute daily exercise regime "should be easily achievable" by most nondiabetic overweight Americans with high blood sugar levels"
• Metformin Appears Suitable For Children With Type 2 Diabetes - Doctor's Guide, 1/18/02
• Diabetes Drug [Glucophage/metformin] May Fight Obesity - WebMD, 12/26/01 - "Pediatricians at the University of Tennessee School of Medicine put 24 obese adolescents on a low-calorie diet: 1,500 calories a day for the girls and 1,800 calories a day for the boys. They also gave half the teens Glucophage and half a placebo ... After eight weeks, dieting teens who took the placebo lost 3.8 % of their body weight. But those taking Glucophage lost 6.5 % of their body weight -- nearly twice as much"
• Metformin-Glibenclamide Combo Manages Total Glycemic Burden In Type 2 Diabetes - Doctor's Guide, 9/17/01
• Repaglinide Plus Metformin Increases Insulin Secretion And Sensitivity In Type 2 Diabetics - Doctor's Guide, 9/13/01
• The Multiple Benefits of Metformin - Life Extension Magazine, 9/01 - "An ideal anti-diabetic drug would enhance cellular insulin sensitivity, inhibit excess intestinal absorption of sugar, reduce excess liver production of glucose, promote weight loss and reduce cardiovascular risk factors. Metformin (Glucophage) is the one drug that does all of this and more"
• Diet and Exercise, Metformin, Dramatically Delay Type 2 Diabetes - Doctor's Guide, 8/8/01
• How to Avoid Diabetes -- Landmark Results Unveiled - WebMD, 8/8/01 - "Either a low-fat diet combined with moderate exercise or the drug metformin -- brand name Glucophage -- dramatically reduced type 2 diabetes risk among overweight people with elevated blood sugar"
• Glyburide/Metformin Combination Helps Maintain Long-Term Blood Sugar Control - Doctor's Guide, 6/26/01
• Metformin Outperforms Other Oral Agents In Diabetics With Severe Coronary Disease - Doctor's Guide, 3/22/01
• Nateglinide Appears To Reduce HbA(1c) Comparable to Metformin - Doctor's Guide, 11/17/00
• FDA Approves Glucophage XR (Metformin) Extended Release Formulation For Type 2 Diabetes - Doctor's Guide, 10/16/00
• FDA Approves Glucovance (Glyburide And Metformin) For Type 2 Diabetes - Doctor's Guide, 8/2/00
• Diabetes Drug, Metformin, May Be Useful In Treating AIDS-Related Syndrome - Doctor's Guide, 7/25/00
• Metformin Safe And Effective For Children With Type 2 Diabetes - Doctor's Guide, 6/12/00
• Avandia (Rosiglitazone) And Glucophage (Metformin) Combo May Slow Type 2 Diabetes Progression - Doctor's Guide, 4/5/00
• Controversy Remains Over Sulfonylurea-Metformin Combination Therapy - Doctor's Guide, 10/1/99
• Doctors Prescribing Metformin Despite Clear Contraindications - Doctor's Guide, 9/30/99
• Glucophage Reduces Deaths In Type II Diabetics, Study Shows - Doctor's Guide, 9/11/98

Abstracts:

• Metformin restores impaired HDL-mediated cholesterol efflux due to glycation - Atherosclerosis. 2009 Mar 19 - "In the presence of metformin or aminoguanidine (100mM), glycated HDL-mediated cholesterol efflux was restored to 97.5+/-4.3% and 96.9+/-3.1%, respectively"
• Pioglitazone Improves Cardiac Function and Alters Myocardial Substrate Metabolism Without Affecting Cardiac Triglyceride Accumulation and High-Energy Phosphate Metabolism in Patients With Well-Controlled Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus - Circulation. 2009 Apr 6 - "were assigned to pioglitazone (30 mg/d) or metformin (2000 mg/d) and matching placebo for 24 weeks ... No patient developed heart failure. Both therapies similarly improved glycemic control, whole-body insulin sensitivity, and blood pressure. Pioglitazone versus metformin improved the early peak flow rate (P=0.047) and left ventricular compliance. Pioglitazone versus metformin increased myocardial glucose uptake (P<0.001), but pioglitazone-related diastolic improvement was not associated with changes in myocardial substrate metabolism. Metformin did not affect myocardial function but decreased cardiac work relative to pioglitazone (P=0.006), a change that was paralleled by a reduced myocardial glucose uptake and fatty acid oxidation. Neither treatment affected cardiac high-energy phosphate metabolism or triglyceride content. Only pioglitazone reduced hepatic triglyceride content" - I still take pioglitazone even though I don't have diabetes because I feel that higher glucose levels are a major cause of aging.  There doesn't seem to be any evidence that it has the heart rises that rosiglitazone has.  See Pioglitazone at OffshoreRx1.com.
• Efficacy and safety of therapy with metformin plus pioglitazone in the treatment of patients with type 2 diabetes: a double-blind, placebo-controlled, clinical trial - Curr Med Res Opin. 2009 Mar 23 - "Mean HbA(1c) was reduced by 0.67% in patients receiving pioglitazone plus metformin versus an increase of 0.25% in those receiving metformin alone (p < 0.0001). After 8 weeks' treatment and until the end of the study, HbA(1c) was significantly lower with pioglitazone plus metformin and more patients in this group achieved an HbA(1c) < 6.5% (38.6% vs. 8.1%; p < 0.0001). FBG was also reduced by a significantly greater amount in patients receiving pioglitazone plus metformin compared with metformin monotherapy (-20.5 vs. 1.9 mg/dl; p < 0.0001). Combination therapy was associated with significantly increased HDL-cholesterol, total cholesterol, and adiponectin, and significantly decreased levels of fasting insulin, free fatty acids, and homeostasis model assessment insulin resistance (HOMA-R) compared with metformin monotherapy" - See pioglitazone at OffshoreRx1.com.
• Treatment of white coat hypertension with metformin - Int Heart J. 2008 Nov;49(6):671-9 - "White coat hypertension (WCH) is most likely a disorder associated with metabolic syndrome ... Twenty-five cases (14.7%) stopped metformin therapy due to excessive anorexia. At the end of a 6-month period, there were highly significant differences between the two groups with respect to the prevalences of resolved WCH, hyperbetalipoproteinemia, hypertriglyceridemia, dyslipidemia, overweight and obesity, and decreased fasting plasma glucose below 110 mg/dL ... Thus, the management of WCH should not focus solely on the regulation of blood pressure with antihypertensive medications, but rather on the prevention of future excess weight and various associated disorders, and metformin alone is an effective therapeutic option, most likely due to its powerful inhibitory effect on appetite"
• Effect of Metformin-Containing Antidiabetic Regimens on All-cause Mortality in Veterans With Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus - Am J Med Sci. 2008 Sep;336(3):241-7 - "Treatment of T2DM with regimens containing metformin alone or in combination with other hypoglycemic agents was associated with reduced all-cause mortality compared with regimens without metformin"
• The effects of 8 months of metformin on circulating GGT and ALT levels in obese women with polycystic ovarian syndrome - Int J Clin Pract. 2008 Jun 19 - "treated with metformin 1500 or 2550 mg/day for 8 months ... Mean weight, serum ALT and GGT decreased from 100.3 to 96.6 kg (p < 0.0001), 29.7 to 25.8 U/l (p = 0.012) and 21.4 to 16.9 U/l (p < 0.0001) respectively ... In women with baseline ALT > 29.7 U/l (median), ALT reduction was highly significant (p = 0.005); however in those with baseline ALT < 29.7 U/l, ALT did not change despite similar weight reduction. There was no difference in reductions in ALT and GGT when the two metformin doses were compared"
• Role of Metformin for Weight Management in Patients Without Type 2 Diabetes (June) - Ann Pharmacother. 2008 May 13 - "The weight loss effects of metformin in overweight or obese adults and adolescents without diabetes appear promising; however, trials have been limited by small patient populations and weak design. Metformin may also have a positive effect on metabolic parameters such as waist circumference, fasting insulin and glucose levels, and triglycerides" - See metformin at at OffshoreRx1.com.
• Metformin improves polycystic ovary syndrome symptoms irrespective of pre-treatment insulin resistance - Eur J Endocrinol. 2007 Nov;157(5):669-76 - "In the overweight and obese PCOS groups, metformin also showed the expected beneficial effects ... Metformin improves parameters of IR, hyperandrogenemia, anovulation, and acne in PCOS irrespective of pre-treatment IR or obesity"
• Decreased in vivo oxidative stress and decreased platelet activation following metformin treatment in newly diagnosed type 2 diabetic subjects - Diabetes Metab Res Rev. 2007 Oct 30 - "These data suggest that metformin could improve oxidative stress, preserve antioxidant function and restrain platelet activation in type 2 diabetes"
• Liver dysfunction in paediatric obesity: a randomized, controlled trial of metformin - Acta Paediatr. 2007 Sep;96(9):1326-32 - "In obese adolescents fed ad libitum, metformin (a) prevented the rise in ALT concentrations that were observed in placebo-treated subjects at the 3 to 5 month time-points (p < 0.05); (b) reduced (p < 0.01) the percentage of all ALT values exceeding 40 U/L; and (c) caused a modest (10%) but statistically significant (p < 0.05) reduction in serum ALT in Caucasian subjects. Metformin had no effect on ALT levels or the ALT to AST ratio in the five African American adolescents enrolled in the study ... metformin might reduce the rates or severity of liver dysfunction in selected high-risk adolescents"
• Metformin as an adjunctive treatment to control body weight and metabolic dysfunction during olanzapine administration: A multicentric, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial - Schizophr Res. 2007 Jul;93(1-3):99-108 - "Metformin may safely assist olanzapine-treated patients in body weight and carbohydrate metabolism control"
• Comparison of the effects of pioglitazone and metformin on insulin resistance and hormonal markers in patients with impaired glucose tolerance and early diabetes - Hypertens Res. 2007 Jan;30(1):23-30 - "pioglitazone was superior to metformin for the improvement of insulin resistance and adiponectin ... Early intervention with pioglitazone or metformin therapy may reduce the incidence of future cardiovascular disease in subjects with impaired glucose tolerance or early diabetes"
• Treating the metabolic syndrome - Expert Rev Cardiovasc Ther. 2007 May;5(3):491-506 - "appropriate treatment of MS components often requires pharmacologic intervention with insulin-sensitizing agents, such as metformin and thiazolidinediones, while statins and fibrates, or angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors and angiotensin II receptor blockers are the first-line lipid-modifying or antihypertensive drugs"
• Rosiglitazone is more effective than metformin in improving fasting indexes of glucose metabolism in severely obese, non-diabetic patients - Diabetes Obes Metab. 2007 Mar 29 - "Our study shows that in severely obese, non-diabetic, hyperinsulinaemic patients undergoing a nutritional programme, rosiglitazone is more effective than metformin in producing favourable changes in fasting-based indexes of glucose metabolism, with a reduction of both insulin resistance and hyperinsulinaemia. In spite of previous studies reporting rosiglitazone-induced body weight gain, in our study the joint treatment with diet and rosiglitazone was accompanied by weight loss and fat mass reduction"
• Effects of metformin or rosiglitazone on serum concentrations of homocysteine, folate, and vitamin B(12) in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus - J Diabetes Complications. 2007 Mar-Apr;21(2):118-23 - "In patients with type 2 diabetes, metformin reduces levels of folate and vitamin B(12) and increases Hcy. Conversely, rosiglitazone decreases Hcy levels in this time period"
• A randomized trial of the effects of rosiglitazone and metformin on inflammation and subclinical atherosclerosis in patients with type 2 diabetes - Am Heart J. 2007 Mar;153(3):445.e1-6 - "Metformin and rosiglitazone treatment led to similar significant improvements in glycemic control (HbA(1c) -1.08% in the rosiglitazone group and -1.18% in the metformin group, P = nonsignificant). High-sensitivity C-reactive protein levels decreased by an average of 68% in the rosiglitazone group (5.99 +/- 0.88 to 1.91 +/- 0.28 mg/L, P < .001), compared with a nonsignificant 4% reduction in hsCRP with metformin"
• Effects of rosiglitazone and metformin on inflammatory markers and adipokines: decrease in interleukin-18 is an independent factor for the improvement of homeostasis model assessment-beta in type 2 diabetes mellitus - Clin Endocrinol (Oxf). 2007 Feb;66(2):282-9 - "Rosiglitazone, but not metformin, improved the plasma concentrations of inflammatory markers and adipokines in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus"
• Glycemic Durability of Rosiglitazone, Metformin, or Glyburide Monotherapy - N Engl J Med. 2006 Dec 4- "Kaplan-Meier analysis showed a cumulative incidence of monotherapy failure at 5 years of 15% with rosiglitazone, 21% with metformin, and 34% with glyburide. This represents a risk reduction of 32% for rosiglitazone, as compared with metformin, and 63%, as compared with glyburide (P<0.001 for both comparisons). The difference in the durability of the treatment effect was greater between rosiglitazone and glyburide than between rosiglitazone and metformin. Glyburide was associated with a lower risk of cardiovascular events (including congestive heart failure) than was rosiglitazone (P<0.05), and the risk associated with metformin was similar to that with rosiglitazone. Rosiglitazone was associated with more weight gain and edema than either metformin or glyburide but with fewer gastrointestinal events than metformin and with less hypoglycemia than glyburide"
• Effects of rosiglitazone and pioglitazone combined with metformin on the prothrombotic state of patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus and metabolic syndrome - J Int Med Res. 2006 Sep-Oct;34(5):545-55 - "In patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus and metabolic syndrome, the combination of metformin plus thiazolidinediones improved glycaemic control and produced a slight but significant reduction in plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 levels"
• An open-label pilot study of the combination therapy of metformin and fluoxetine for weight reduction  - Int J Obes (Lond). 2006 Sep 12 - "In a 6.68-month period, a 7.89 kg decrease in weight (9.32%) and a 3.43 U decrease in BMI (10.14%) were observed in participants of the case group that was statistically significant"
• Improvement in glycaemic control with rosiglitazone/metformin fixed-dose combination therapy in patients with type 2 diabetes with very poor glycaemic control - Diabetes Obes Metab. 2006 Nov;8(6):643-649 - "Unless tolerability issues arose, eligible patients initiated RSG/MET 4 mg/1000 mg fixed-dose combination therapy and were up-titrated in increments of 2 mg/500 mg at 4-week intervals to a daily dose of 8 mg/2000 mg or the maximum tolerated dose ... At week 24, clinically significant mean reduction in A1c from 11.8 to 7.8% (mean reduction, 4.0 +/- 2.2%; p < 0.0001) and mean FPG reduction from 16.9 to 9.2 mmol/l (mean reduction, 7.7 +/- 4.4 mmol/l; p < 0.0001) were observed"
• Risk factors of vitamin B12 deficiency in patients receiving metformin - Arch Intern Med. 2006 Oct 9;166(18):1975-9 - "Each 1-g/d metformin dose increment conferred an odds ratio of 2.88 (95% confidence interval, 2.15-3.87) for developing vitamin B(12) deficiency" - See iHerb or Vitacost Vitamin B12 products.
• Adherence to Preventive Medications: Predictors and outcomes in the Diabetes Prevention Program - Diabetes Care. 2006 Sep;29(9):1997-2002 - "There was a 38.2% risk reduction for developing diabetes for those adherent to metformin compared with those adherent to placebo" - See metformin at OffshoreRx1.comor SuperSaverMeds.com (Glucophage).
• Metformin improves endothelial vascular reactivity in first-degree relatives of type 2 diabetic patients with metabolic syndrome and normal glucose tolerance - Diabetes Care. 2006 May;29(5):1083-9 - "The metformin group had decreased weight, BMI, systolic blood pressure, and FPG and improved lipid profile. Endothelium-dependent FBF responses were also improved, without any effect on endothelium-independent responses"
• Currently listed contraindications to the use of metformin - more harmful than beneficial? - Dtsch Med Wochenschr. 2006 Jan 20;131(3):105-10 - "As the incidence of lactic acidosis in patients with type 2 diabetes is the same with or without metformin therapy (about 9 per 100000 patient years) there is no evidence that metformin therapy is associated with an increased risk of lactic acidosis ... The two groups did not differ with regard to progression of renal failure, patient-oriented endpoints or overall mortality ... On the basis of the current data, advanced age per se, mild renal impairment and stable heart failure can no longer be upheld as contraindications to the use of metformin"
• Metformin revisited: re-evaluation of its properties and role in the pharmacopoeia of modern antidiabetic agents - Diabetes Obes Metab. 2005 Nov;7(6):654-65 - "Metformin acts by increasing tissue sensitivity to insulin, principally in the liver. Beneficial properties of metformin include weight reduction, favourable effects on the lipid profile and the fibrinolytic pathway, and improvement of ovarian function in some insulin-resistant women. It does not cause hyperinsulinaemia or hypoglycaemia" - See Glucophage at SuperSaverMeds.com or OffshoreRx1.com.
• Metformin decelerates aging and development of mammary tumors in HER-2/neu transgenic mice - Bull Exp Biol Med. 2005 Jun;139(6):721-3 - "Mean life span of mice increased by 8% (p<0.05), in 10% long-living mice it was prolonged by 13.1%, and the maximum life span was prolonged by 1 month under the effect of metformin in comparison with the control. The rate of populational aging decreased by 2.26 times ... Hence, we first demonstrated a geroprotective effect of metformin and its suppressive effect towards the development of mammary tumors"
• The impact of antidiabetic therapies on cardiovascular disease - Curr Atheroscler Rep. 2005 Feb;7(1):50-7 - "Metformin is the only oral antidiabetic medication shown to decrease cardiovascular events independent of glycemic control. Thiazolidinediones improve insulin resistance and lower insulin concentrations, which is beneficial because hyperinsulinemia is an independent predictor of cardiovascular disease"
• Metformin and weight loss in obese women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS): comparison of doses - J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2005 May 10 - "the Ob sub-group showed a dose relationship (1.5 Kg [3.3 lbs] and 3.6 Kg [7.9 lbs] in 1500 mg and 2550 mg groups respectively ... Suppression of androstenedione was significant with both metformin doses" - See metformin at The Antiaging Store.
• Intensive Lifestyle Intervention or Metformin on Inflammation and Coagulation in Participants With Impaired Glucose Tolerance - Diabetes. 2005 May;54(5):1566-1572 - "In men, the median changes in CRP from baseline to 1 year were -33% in the lifestyle group, -7% in the metformin group, and +5% in the placebo group. In women, the changes in CRP from baseline to follow-up were -29% in the lifestyle group, -14% in the metformin group, and 0% in the placebo group"
• Administration of B-group vitamins reduces circulating homocysteine in polycystic ovarian syndrome patients treated with metformin: a randomized trial - Hum Reprod. 2005 Mar 24 - "These findings suggest that B-group vitamins and folic acid administration counteract the Hcy-increasing effect seen with metformin therapy"
• Effects of metformin on the body composition in subjects with risk factors for type 2 diabetes - Diabetes Obes Metab. 2005 Mar;7(2):189-92 - "In the metformin group, there was a decrease in fat weight from 25.9 +/- 9.4 to 20.8 +/- 9.2 kg, p < 0.01, an increase in lean weight from 57.05 +/- 13.6 to 61.9 +/- 16.5 kg, p < 0.01, an increase in basal metabolism from 1735 +/- 413 to 1878 +/- 505 calories/day, p < 0.05 and an increase in body water" - See metformin at IAS or OffshoreRx1.com.  Note:  That's a 19.7% decrease in fat (25.9-20.8)/25.9 = 19.7%, a 8.5% increase in lean weight (61.9-57.05)/57.05 = 8.5% and a 8.2% increase in basal metabolism (1878-1735)/1735 = 8.2%. - Ben
• Metformin or gliclazide, rather than glibenclamide, attenuate progression of carotid intima-media thickness in subjects with type 2 diabetes - Diabetologia. 2004 Nov 24 - "These data indicate that metformin or gliclazide, rather than glibenclamide, have a potent anti-atherogenic effect in type 2 diabetes"
• Metformin: drug of choice for the prevention of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular complications in high-risk subjects - Diabetes Metab. 2003 Sep;29(4):121-2 - "Metformin is unique in being not only as effective as any other oral antidiabetic therapy in controlling blood glucose, but also having an unparalleled clinical database relating to improved clinical outcomes in pre-diabetic subjects, and patients with established type 2 diabetes"
• Potential contribution of metformin to the management of cardiovascular disease risk in patients with abdominal obesity, the metabolic syndrome and type 2 diabetes - Diabetes Metab. 2003 Sep;29(4):53-61 - "metformin has been shown to not only contribute to a better glycaemic control but also to induce some weight loss (especially in the visceral depot) which may contribute to the improvement of the features of the metabolic syndrome. Thus, metformin treatment may represent a relevant element of an integrated lifestyle modification-pharmacotherapy to prevent not only type 2 diabetes but also cardiovascular disease"
• Do effects on blood pressure contribute to improved clinical outcomes with metformin? - Diabetes Metab. 2003 Sep;29(4):62-70 - "Metformin improves insulin sensitivity in liver and muscle as its primary antihyperglycaemic mechanism of action, and intensive glycaemic management with metformin significantly reduced the risk of macrovascular diabetic complications in the UK Prospective Diabetes Study. The clinical outcome benefits in the metformin group included a significant reduction in the risk of stroke (- 41% vs + 14% with sulphonylurea or insulin treatment, p=0.032) ... metformin significantly improved endothelial function, a key regulator of vascular tone and blood pressure, in type 2 diabetic patients"
• The potential of metformin for diabetes prevention - Diabetes Metab. 2003 Sep;29(4):104-11 - "Treatment with metformin significantly reduced the incidence of diabetes in subjects with IGT and high-normal fasting plasma glucose in the DPP. Moreover, metformin was well tolerated, and health economic analyses suggest that metformin treatment is cost-effective in the US and Europe ... The results of the DPP identify metformin as an effective option for the prevention of diabetes in subjects with IGT and impaired fasting glucose"
• Beneficial effects of metformin on haemostasis and vascular function in man - Diabetes Metab. 2003 Sep;29(4):44-52 - "Metformin is a biguanide compound which is antihyperglycaemic, reduces insulin resistance and has cardioprotective effects on lipids, thrombosis and blood flow. Metformin has a weight neutral/weight lowering effect and reduces hypertriglyceridaemia, elevated levels of PAI-1, factor VII and C-reactive protein. In addition recent studies indicate that metformin has direct effects on fibrin structure/function and stabilises platelets, two important components of arterial thrombus. The United Kingdom Prospective Diabetes Study (UKPDS) reported that metformin was associated with a 32% reduction in any diabetes related endpoint (p<0.002), a 39% reduction in myocardial infarction (p<0.01) and a non-significant 29% fall in microvascular complications. The figures for macrovascular complications compare favourably for those described for other cardioprotective agents such as ACE inhibitors and statins. These findings confirm metformin as first line therapy in the management of obese insulin resistant type 2 diabetes and in the prevention of the vascular complications of this common condition"
• Effect of metformin on insulin sensitivity and insulin secretion in female obese patients with normal glucose tolerance - Diabetes Metab 2003 Apr;29(2 Pt 1):125
• Effect of metformin and sulfonylurea on C-reactive protein level in well-controlled type 2 diabetics with metabolic syndrome - Endocrine 2003 Apr;20(3):215-8 - "CRP level was significantly lower in patients using metformin for blood glucose control compared with those using glibenclamide, 5.56 and 8.3 mg/L, respectively ... The data showed that metformin decreases the level of circulating CRP, a marker of inflammation, more than glibenclamide"
• What to Do About the Metabolic Syndrome? - Archives of Internal Medicine, 2/24/03 - "Substantial data are accumulating to suggest that lifestyle modification aimed at producing weight loss is an effective treatment for overweight or obese individuals with the metabolic syndrome ... Some physicians prescribe metformin because it can be associated with weight reduction and seems to counteract insulin resistance. However, metformin is not approved by the Food and Drug Administration as a weight loss drug ... Some might consider the use of weight loss drugs in patients with metabolic syndrome"
• Metformin-Associated Vitamin B12 Deficiency - Archives of Internal Medicine, 10/28/02
• Evaluation of the safety and efficacy of sibutramine, orlistat and metformin in the treatment of obesity - Diabetes Obes Metab. 2002 Jan;4(1):49-55 - "sibutramine, orlistat and metformin are all effective and safe medications that reduce cardiovascular risk and can decrease the risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus in obese females. Overall, treatment with 10mg sibutramine bid is more effective than orlistat or metformin therapy in terms of weight reduction"

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