ORLANDO —Use of metformin alone or in combination with other hypoglycemic agents raises the risk of renal function decline, data show.
Researchers studied 1,493 patients treated for type 2 diabetes at the VeteransAffairsMedicalCenter in Memphis. Of these, 812 patients used metformin and 681 did not. All patients had a serum creatinine level of 1.5 mg/dL or lower at baseline. The average follow-up was 55 and 57 months for metformin users and non-users, respectively. After adjusting for age, race, HbA1c and other potential confounders, a decline in renal function—defined as a 0.5 mg/dL rise in serum creatinine—was 53% more likely in metformin users compared with non-users. The study was presented here National Kidney Foundation 2007 Spring Clinical Meetings.
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