Metformin Treatment: Pediatric Weight Management Experience.

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Endocrinology
• Metabolic Health
• Obesity Medicine

Background:

• Obesity affects a significant number of non-diabetic youth.
• Metformin is increasingly considered for pediatric weight management.
• Evidence on long-term metformin efficacy and patient experience in this population is limited.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate patient-reported experiences with metformin in non-diabetic youth with obesity.
• To assess the association between metformin use duration and changes in weight status.
• To identify factors associated with metformin use in a pediatric weight management program.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective review of 161 youth with obesity in a pediatric weight management program.
• Categorization into three groups: metformin taken ≥6 months, <6 months, and ordered not taken.
• Analysis of weight status changes and reported side effects.

Main Results:

• All groups had similar baseline weight status.
• Youth taking metformin ≥6 months had earlier initiation and higher rates of prediabetes and parental diabetes.
• Overall weight status improvement was 57.1%, with the highest in the ≥6 months metformin group (69.0%).
• 35.4% of those who took metformin reported side effects, with no significant group variation.

Conclusions:

• Metformin use, particularly for ≥6 months, is associated with improved weight status in non-diabetic youth with obesity.
• Patient-reported side effects were common but did not significantly differ by duration of use.
• Metformin may be a valuable adjunct to lifestyle changes in pediatric weight management programs.