Metformin and parameters of physical health.
BACKGROUND
The prevalence of excess weight, including overweight and obesity, is increasing with a high cost on health in society.


METHODS
Consecutive cases with excess weight, aged between 50 and 70 years and desiring weight loss, were divided into two subgroups according to wishes of patients about whether they prefer medication or just a diet. Metformin at a daily dose of 2,550 mg was given to the medication group.


RESULTS
As for the very high prevalences, 84.8% (313/369) of cases at or above the age of 50 years were overweight or obese, 67.2% (248/369) of them had white coat hypertension (WCH) or hypertension (HT), 52.5% (194/369) of them had impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) or diabetes mellitus (DM), and 68.8% (254/369) of them had dyslipidemia. Initially 143 cases with excess weight preferred the diet and 162 of them preferred the metformin therapy. But 42 cases (25.9%) stopped the drug because of excessive anorexia. At the end of the six-month period, there were highly significant differences between the two groups according to prevalences of resolved WCH, hyperbetalipoproteinemia, hypertriglyceridemia, dyslipidemia, overweight, and obesity and a decreased fasting plasma glucose below 110 mg/dL (p<0.001 for all).


CONCLUSIONS
Due to the very high prevalences of excess weight and probably many associated disorders with the excess weight, including IGT or DM, WCH or HT, and dyslipidemia, above the age of 50 years, and the detected significant benefits of metformin on all of the above parameters, metformin treatment should be initiated in patients with excess weight in their fifties.
Helvaci
Mehmet Rami
MR
Medical Faculty of the Mustafa Kemal University, Antakya, Turkey. mramihelvaci@hotmail.com
Kaya
Hasan
H
Borazan
Ali
A
Ozer
Cahit
C
Seyhanli
Mahmut
M
Yalcin
Atilla
A
D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000378:metabolism; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000209:etiology; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D050171:Dyslipidemias / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000209:etiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000209:etiology; D007004:Hypoglycemic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008297:Male; D008687:Metformin / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009765:Obesity / Q000150:complications / Q000178:diet therapy / Q000188:drug therapy*; D015995:Prevalence
D001786:Blood Glucose; D007004:Hypoglycemic Agents; D008687:Metformin