Metformin and heart failure: never say never again
Abstract
Metformin represents the cornerstone of treatment for type 2 diabetes mellitus. Traditionally, heart failure (HF) was considered a contraindication to its use. However, more recent evidence has shown that this should no longer be the case. Indeed, studies have demonstrated that metformin may even reduce the risk of incident HF and mortality in diabetic patients, while improving up to 2-year survival rates in those with HF. In addition, it appears to exert cardioprotective actions. Although longer follow-up data and more explicit information about the situation in patients with very advanced HF are needed, the cardiac safety of metformin has profound clinical implications and may be anticipated to further encourage its widespread use.
How strong is the evidence?
Evidence Hub reads this as a cohort study, done in people. Its evidence level is 3 of 5 (Moderate · trial / cohort / secondary analysis). Trials without a large randomized design, cohorts and secondary analyses give moderate evidence.
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.