A study by Kobe University provides the first clinical evidence that metformin which is a common prescription for diabetics patients alters blood metal levels in humans.
Diabetes patients taking metformin showed lower copper and iron levels and higher zinc levels, this changes are associated with improved glucose tolerance and reduced risk of complications.
Recently, Japan has approved the use of imeglimin, a new diabetes drug that is a derivative of metformin but that should not be able to bind metals the same way as its parent. "Imeglimin is thought to have a different method of action, studies have already started conducting to compare the effects the two drugs have.
This supports the idea that metformin’s benefits may partly result from its ability to influence metal concentrations in the body. Understanding this mechanism could guide the development of new diabetes drugs, including comparisons with imeglimin, a metformin derivative that does not bind metals the same way.
This is a very interesting study! It’s cool to learn that a drug’s benefits might be tied to how it affects the body’s metal levels, not just its primary function. This kind of research could open up a whole new way of thinking about and developing future diabetes medications.
Metformin has long been the gold standard in type 2 diabetes management, but limitations like gastrointestinal intolerance, risk of lactic acidosis in certain patients, and variable efficacy have driven research into new derivatives. Developing safer, more potent, and better-tolerated alternatives can help expand treatment options, improve patient compliance, and potentially extend its therapeutic use beyond diabetes into areas like cancer and anti-aging.
It’s reassuring to learn that the advantages of a medication may be attributed to how it affects the levels of metals in the body, as opposed to its original intention. Such research has the potential to usher in an entirely new way of thinking regarding and developing future drugs for diabetes.
Interesting update, Metformin not only lowers blood sugar it also seems to tweak our metal levels. Patients taking it showed lower copper and iron, but higher zinc, which might help improve glucose control. This insight inspired the development of imeglimin, a new metformin-like drug recently approved in Japan, designed not to bind metals the way metformin does. This subtle change could help us understand and refine how glucose-lowering drugs work.