Quick overview of what you’ll learn from this blog post:
- How high blood sugar can lead to heart disease
- Why Metformin is used off-label for prediabetes
- Brief overview of a recent interesting study
- How we can help with Metformin
We all know that a diet high in sugar isn’t a good idea, but did you know that consuming too much sugar can raise your blood pressure and increase chronic inflammation, both of which are pathological pathways to heart disease? Something to think about next time you’re contemplating that second bowl of chocolate mousse!
On top of dietary sugar, did you know that our bodies naturally produce sugar as well? This mainly happens in the liver through a process called glycogenolysis, which is just a fancy word for the process of turning glycogen into glucose.
As the world’s most widely prescribed diabetes drug, Metformin decreases the absorption of dietary sugar through the intestines, and also reduces the amount of sugar naturally produced by the liver via glycogenolysis. It also helps the body process sugar more efficiently.
Safe and well tolerated, Metformin has been used to treat diabetic patients since the 1950s, and it is also commonly used for patients with pre-diabetes too, because it does a great job of helping to improve patients’ blood sugar levels.
Metformin for cardiovascular health
Last month the American Heart Association (AHA) held a virtual event discussing the latest developments in the cardiology world. During the event, the audience heard about the exciting findings of a recently completed study that looked at the effects of Metformin on the cardiovascular health of prediabetic patients with high BMI.
The study’s investigators concluded, “Patients with BMI [of] 35 [or greater] showed an association between Metformin use and lower incidence of CVD, including African Americans older than age 65. The data suggest that morbidly obese patients with prediabetes may benefit from the use of Metformin as recommended by the ADA.”
While this was only a single study, the findings are hard to ignore, and we’re excited to see what additional studies take place as a result. As always, we’ll keep you posted!
If you’re interested in learning more about Metformin and its many benefits, check out our other blog posts.
How AgelessRx can help with Metformin
At AgelessRx, our physicians have many years of experience with Metformin and its many benefits. If you’re interested in a free online evaluation with a licensed medical professional, click here.