TSH-Lowering Effect of Metformin in Type 2 Diabetic Patients
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To assess the interplay between metformin treatment and thyroid function in type 2 diabetic patients. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: The acute and long-term effects of metformin on thyroid axis hormones were assessed in diabetic patients with primary hypothyroidism who were either untreated or treated with levothyroxine (L-T4), as well as in diabetic patients with normal thyroid function. RESULTS: No acute changes were found in 11 patients with treated hypothyroidism. After 1 year of metformin administration, a significant thyrotropin (TSH) decrease (P < 0.001) was observed in diabetic subjects with hypothyroidism who were either treated (n = 29; from 2.37 +/- 1.17 to 1.41 +/- 1.21 mIU/l) or untreated (n = 18; 4.5 +/- 0.37 vs. 2.93 +/- 1.48) with L-T4, but not in 54 euthyroid subjects. No significant change in free T4 (FT4) was observed in any group. CONCLUSIONS: Metformin administration influences TSH without change of FT4 in patients with type 2 diabetes and concomitant hypothyroidism. The need for reevaluation of thyroid function in these patients within 6-12 months after starting metformin is indicated.
Read the paper
Related studies
- Metformin as an adjuvant in breast cancer treatment
- Metformin Lysosomal Targeting: A Novel Aspect to Be Investigated for Metformin Repurposing in Neurodegenerative Diseases?
- Aberrant HSF1 signaling activation underlies metformin amelioration of myocardial infarction in mice
- Metformin induces ZFP36 by mTORC1 inhibition in cervical cancer-derived cell lines
- Protein Interaction Network for Identifying Vascular Response of Metformin (Oral Antidiabetic)
- Preventing Long COVID With Metformin
Go deeper in Evidence Hub
Evidence Hub adds a study data sheet (design, sample size, evidence level, key numbers), an AI summary and a chat grounded in the paper's text.