Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 24, 2026
10:03
A Zebrafish Model of Diabetes Mellitus and Metabolic Memory
Published on: February 28, 2013
Treating prediabetes with metformin: systematic review and meta-analysis
Muriel Lily1, Muriel Lilly, Marshall Godwin
1Primary Healthcare Research Unit, Health Science Centre, 300 Prince Philip Drive, St John's, Newfoundland.
Canadian Family Physician Medecin De Famille Canadien
|April 16, 2009
Summary
Metformin use in prediabetes significantly reduces the progression to type 2 diabetes. This medication is effective across various dosages and populations, with a number needed to treat between 7 and 14 over three years.
Area of Science:
- Endocrinology
- Metabolic Diseases
- Pharmacology
Background:
- Prediabetes, characterized by impaired glucose tolerance or impaired fasting glucose, is a precursor to type 2 diabetes mellitus.
- Identifying interventions to prevent or delay diabetes onset is crucial for public health.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the efficacy of metformin in preventing or delaying the development of type 2 diabetes in individuals with prediabetes.
Main Methods:
- A systematic literature search of MEDLINE from 1966 to the present was conducted.
- Included were randomized controlled trials assessing metformin's effect on diabetes development in prediabetic individuals with a minimum 6-month follow-up.
- Three studies met the inclusion criteria.
Main Results:
- Metformin demonstrated a reduction in the rate of conversion from prediabetes to type 2 diabetes.
- Efficacy was observed with both higher (850 mg twice daily) and lower (250 mg twice or thrice daily) metformin dosages.
- The number needed to treat ranged from 7 to 14 for treatment over a 3-year period.
Conclusions:
- Metformin is an effective intervention for decreasing the progression from prediabetes to type 2 diabetes.
- The benefits of metformin were consistent across different ethnicities and metformin dosages.
- Sensitivity analyses confirmed metformin's positive impact, even under worst-case scenario assumptions.
Related Concept Videos
01:26Oral Hypoglycemic Agents: Biguanides and Glitazones
Biguanides, particularly metformin (Glucophage), are insulin sensitizers that enhance glucose uptake, thereby reducing insulin resistance. Unlike sulfonylureas, metformin doesn't prompt insulin secretion, which helps to curb hypoglycemia risk. Metformin is beneficial in treating conditions like polycystic ovary syndrome due to its insulin-resistance reduction capability. The drug's primary action involves curtailing hepatic gluconeogenesis, a significant contributor to high blood glucose levels...
01:15Diabetes: Management and Pharmacotherapy
The therapy for diabetes aims to alleviate hyperglycemia-related symptoms, prevent acute metabolic decompensation, and reduce chronic end-organ complications. Glycemic control is evaluated through short-term (self-monitoring, continuous glucose monitoring) and long-term (A1c, fructosamine) metrics, enabling near real-time tracking of blood glucose levels and reflecting glycemic control over specific time frames.
Insulin remains the cornerstone of treatment for most patients with type 1 and many...
Insulin remains the cornerstone of treatment for most patients with type 1 and many...
01:25Type II Diabetes Mellitus III: Clinical Manifestations and Diagnosis
Type 2 diabetes mellitus develops gradually and is often asymptomatic in early stages.Clinical ManifestationsWhen symptoms appear, they include fatigue, blurred vision, pruritus, delayed wound healing, and recurrent infections, particularly candidal infections. Peripheral neuropathy may present as numbness or tingling in the extremities. Classic hyperglycemia symptoms—polyuria, polydipsia, and polyphagia—are less common. Most patients are overweight and frequently have associated hypertension...
01:22Diabetes Mellitus: Type 2 and Gestational
Type 2 diabetes, characterized by insulin resistance, arises when the insulin receptors on cells lose responsiveness to insulin, diminishing the cell's capacity to take up glucose, resulting in elevated blood glucose levels. To receive a diagnosis of Type 2 diabetes, a series of blood glucose tests are necessary to assess whether the blood glucose falls within normal parameters. If the result is out of the normal range, a patient may be diagnosed as prediabetic or diabetic, depending on the...
01:22Diabetes Mellitus: Overview and Type I Subtype
Diabetes mellitus is a chronic metabolic disorder characterized by high blood glucose levels due to inadequate insulin production, insulin resistance, or both. The condition affects millions worldwide and can significantly impact their health and quality of life.
Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease in which the immune system mistakenly attacks and destroys the insulin-producing beta cells in the pancreas. As a result, the body is unable to produce sufficient insulin, and individuals with...
Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease in which the immune system mistakenly attacks and destroys the insulin-producing beta cells in the pancreas. As a result, the body is unable to produce sufficient insulin, and individuals with...
01:24Type II Diabetes II: Pathophysiology
PathophysiologyType 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM ) is a chronic metabolic disorder characterized by insulin resistance and progressive pancreatic β-cell dysfunction, leading to impaired glucose homeostasis. It results from interactions among genetic predisposition, environmental factors, and metabolic stressors, such as overnutrition and a sedentary lifestyle.Insulin Resistance and Glucose DysregulationEarly T2DM involves insulin resistance in skeletal muscle, adipose tissue, and the liver.