Wrongfully accused: metformin use in heart failure

Evaluation of: Aguilar D, Chan W, Bozkurt B, Ramasubbu K, Deswal A. Metformin use and mortality in ambulatory patients with diabetes and heart failure. Circ. Heart Fail. 4(1), 53-58 (2010). Metformin has long been the cornerstone of therapy for glycemic control in patients with Type 2 diabetes worldwide. It is recommended as first-line therapy by all major diabetes clinical practice guidelines owing to its efficacy, favorable tolerability profile and beneficial effects in limiting weight gain. Moreover, metformin is the only oral anthyperglycemic agent shown in randomized controlled trials to reduce mortality in newly diagnosed patients with Type 2 diabetes. However, the use of metformin has not been without controversy, in particular in patients with heart failure. This article will review a recent observational study by Aguilar et al. published in Circulation - Heart Failure that reported improved outcomes associated with metformin therapy in patients with diabetes and heart failure.