In 2014, a revolutionary UK study published in Diabetes Obesity and Metabolism stated “patients with type 2 diabetes initiated with Metformin had longer survival than did matched, non-diabetic controls.”
In short, the UK study compared 78,000 people with type 2 diabetes taking Metformin to a second set of 78,000 people with type 2 diabetes and no diabetic controls (i.e. not taking Metformin) over a two and half year period. The results state those taking Metformin had a lower risk of all-cause mortality and lived longer than those not taking Metformin.
Furthermore, the study also compared sulphonylurea (a popular diabetes drug in the 1990’s) and Metformin therapies. The results were staggering as the study states patients “treated with sulphonylurea had markedly reduced survival compared with both matched controls and those receiving Metformin monotherapy.” In short, diabetics taking Metformin lived longer than non-diabetics, which is noteworthy considering how many long-term issues diabetics tend to suffer from (e.g. heart problems, kidney problems, nerve problems). Such conclusions further bolster Metformin’s outstanding safety and efficacy records.
As noted in the Conclusion of the study, Metformin’s reduction of all-cause mortality when compared to both sulphonylurea and non-diabetic controls further suggest “that there may be a prognostic benefit of Metformin prophylaxis in people without diabetes.” In other words, Metformin may help to prevent disease in both diabetic and even non-diabetic patients.
World renowned longevity and Metformin expert, Dr. Nir Barzilai, shared more on the study, as well as other benefits of Metformin at TedMed in 2016:
The bottom line? Metformin may help lower risk of all-cause mortality in diabetic patients, and almost certainly would do the same in non-diabetic patients.
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To read the full Diabetes Obesity and Metabolism study, click here.
To learn more about the science behind Metformin, click here.