Timing of Metformin Important in Metformin-Treated Type 2 Diabetes
By Elana Gotkine HealthDay Reporter
FRIDAY, June 21, 2024 -- Glucose lowering by metformin is greater when given before enteral glucose among patients with type 2 diabetes controlled by metformin monotherapy, according to a study recently published in Diabetologia.
Cong Xie, Ph.D., from the University of Adelaide in Australia, and colleagues studied 16 participants with type 2 diabetes that was relatively well controlled by metformin monotherapy on four separate days. Participants were randomly assigned on each day to receive a bolus infusion of metformin via a nasoduodenal catheter at −60, −30, or 0 minutes (saline at other time points) or saline at all time points (control) followed by an intraduodenal glucose infusion at 0 to 60 minutes.
The researchers identified a treatment-by-time interaction for metformin in terms of reducing plasma glucose levels and increasing plasma glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1) and insulin levels. A greater reduction in plasma glucose levels was seen when metformin was administered at −60 or −30 minutes versus 0 minutes; the increases in plasma GLP-1 were only seen when metformin was administered at −60 or −30 minutes. Metformin enhanced glucose-induced insulin secretion, although it did not influence insulin sensitivity; on the three days when metformin was given, the increases in plasma insulin levels were comparable.
"Metformin is more effective in glucose-lowering when given before, rather than with, enteral glucose, and this is associated with a greater GLP-1 response," the authors write.
Several authors disclosed ties to the pharmaceutical industry.
Disclaimer: Statistical data in medical articles provide general trends and do not pertain to individuals. Individual factors can vary greatly. Always seek personalized medical advice for individual healthcare decisions.
© 2025 HealthDay. All rights reserved.
Posted June 2024
Read this next
Many Medicaid Enrollees Have Restricted Access to SGLT2 Inhibitors, GLP-1 Receptor Agonists
WEDNESDAY, April 30, 2025 -- Many Medicaid enrollees with type 2 diabetes have restricted access to cardioprotective medications, including sodium-glucose cotransporter-2...
Declining Childhood Vaccination May Increase Risk for Vaccine-Preventable Infections
WEDNESDAY, April 30, 2025 -- Declining childhood vaccination rates may increase outbreaks of eliminated vaccine-preventable infections within the United States, leading to a...
Sodium-Glucose Cotransporter 2 Inhibitors Increase Risk for Falls in Patients With Diabetes
WEDNESDAY, April 30, 2025 -- Sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitor use is an independent risk factor for falls in people with type 2 diabetes, according to a study...
More news resources
- FDA Medwatch Drug Alerts
- Daily MedNews
- News for Health Professionals
- New Drug Approvals
- New Drug Applications
- Drug Shortages
- Clinical Trial Results
- Generic Drug Approvals
Subscribe to our newsletter
Whatever your topic of interest, subscribe to our newsletters to get the best of Drugs.com in your inbox.