Metformin Could Extend Life Expectancy

Metformin could increase the lifespan of people with type 2 diabetes and could offer prophylactic benefits to those without the illness, according to a recent study.

The study compared all-cause mortality in diabetic patients who were treated with metformin or sulphonylurea. They were then compared to non-diabetics based on criteria such as gender, age, smoking history, and clinical status.
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Researchers gathered data from the Clinical Practice Research Datalink, which is collected from primary care general practitioners; it represents approximately 10% of the population in the UK.

Investigators treated 78,241 participants with metformin, and 12,222 individuals with sulphonylurea. They were then matched to 90,463 individuals without diabetes.

Over the course of the study, 7498 people died.

“Patients treated with metformin had a small but statistically significant improvement in survival compared with the cohort of non-diabetics, whereas those treated with sulphonylurea had a consistently reduced survival compared with non-diabetic patients. This was true even without any clever statistical manipulation,” said Craig Currie, MD, one of the study’s authors and researcher from Cardiff University’s school of medicine.

The investigators noted that patients lose around 8 years from their life expectancy once diagnosed with diabetes. The advised people to stay lean and partake in consistent, light exercise in order to avoid developing the illness.

The complete study is published in the July issue of Diabetes, Obesity, and Metabolism.

-Michelle Canales

References:

Bannister CA, Holden SE, Jenkins-Jones S, et al. Can people with type 2 diabetes livelonger than those without?A comparison of mortality in people initiated with metformin or sulphonylurea monotherapy and matched, non-diabetic controls. Diabetes Obes Metab. 2014 July [epub ahead of print] doi: 10.1111/dom.12354.

Cardiff University. Can people with type 2 diabetes live longer? August 8, 2014. www.cardiff.ac.uk/news/articles/can-people-with-type-2-diabetes-live-longer-13395.html. Accessed August 8, 2014.