[Primary preventive effect of metformin upon atherosclerosis in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus].
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the preventive action of metformin for atherosclerosis (AS) in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM).


METHODS
A total of 140 cases with T2DM were assigned to 2 groups taking metformin (n = 75) or not (n = 65). All cases received intensive control of blood glucose, blood pressure and blood lipids for 100 weeks. The data before and after intensive control were recorded and statistically analyzed. Common carotid intima-media thickness (CC-IMT) was the efficacy endpoint of AS.


RESULTS
Diastolic blood pressure (DBP), fasting blood glucose, post 2-hour blood glucose, glycated hemoglobin A1c, triglyceride (TG) and total cholesterol (TC) decreased in both groups after intensive metabolic control for 100 weeks (P < 0.05). Body mass index (BMI), HOMA insulin resistance index (HOMA-IR) and CC-IMT decreased in metformin group (P < 0.05) while high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) increased (P < 0.05). BMI (23.1 +/- 0.98) kg/m2, HOMA-IR (1.68 +/- 0.20) and CC-IMT (0.55 +/- 0.13) mm in metformin group were lower than those in non-metformin group [(24.1 +/- 0.05) kg/m2, 2.03 +/- 1.38, (0.70 +/- 0.15) mm)] at 100 week (P < 0.05). CC-IMT was positively correlated with BMI (r = 0.489, P < 0.05) , TC (r = 0.429, P < 0.05), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) (r = 0.426, P < 0.05) and HOMA-IR (r = 0.428, P < 0.05).


CONCLUSIONS
Metformin attenuates CC-IMT of patients with T2DM and it has the primary preventive effect upon AS in patients with T2DM.
Zhang
Xue-Yang
XY
Department of Endocrinology, First Affiliated Hospital of Dalian Medical University, Dalian 116011, China.
Du
Jian-Ling
JL
Jia
Yu-Jie
YJ
Bai
Ran
R
Yang
Yu
Y
Ba
Ying
Y
Xing
Qian
Q
Men
Li-Li
LL
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D050197:Atherosclerosis / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy*; D003925:Diabetic Angiopathies / Q000517:prevention & control*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007004:Hypoglycemic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008297:Male; D008687:Metformin / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008875:Middle Aged; D011322:Primary Prevention
D007004:Hypoglycemic Agents; D008687:Metformin