[Levels of lactic acid in type II diabetics treated with buformin]

The objective of the work was to assess the blood lactate levels in type 2 diabetics selected at random, treated for prolonged periods with buformin. 77% of the investigated group of diabetics (N = 70) had elevated blood lactate levels and 16% of them had hyperlactataemia (more than 5.0 mmol/l). In 33% patients with an originally elevated lactataemia after 12 weeks of discontinued buformin treatment the lactic acid blood levels reached normal values. The lactate levels declined significantly (by more than 25% of the original value) after 6 weeks without buformin treatment in another 45% of the diabetic patients. In 18% of the investigated patients, who had high lactate levels even after discontinuation of treatment, in two-thirds neither impaired function of the kidneys and liver nor cardiac disease or alcoholism were detected.