Metformin Diabetes Drug Could Extend Lifespan

Medical News Today ^ | 8-8-2014 | Hannah Nichols

[blam]

Metformin is approved in the US as a treatment for type 2 diabetes. A new study by Cardiff University, UK, involving over 180,000 people, reveals that the drug could also increase the lifespan of those individuals who are non-diabetics.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), there are around 29.1 million people in the US with diabetes, equating to 9.3% of the population.

Type 2 diabetes accounts for 90-95% of diabetes cases and is usually associated with older age, obesity and physical inactivity, family history of type 2 diabetes or a personal history of gestational diabetes.

Senior couple having fun in the sea A commonly prescribed diabetes drug could offer surprising health benefits to non-diabetics - making them live longer.

Type 2 diabetes is preventable through healthful eating, regular physical activity and weight loss. It can be controlled with these same activities, but insulin or oral medication also may be necessary.

Metformin (metformin hydrochloride) is an oral biguanide antidiabetic medicine to treat type 2 diabetes, a condition in which the body does not use insulin normally and, therefore, cannot control the amount of sugar in the blood.

Metformin helps to control the amount of glucose (sugar) in your blood, it decreases the amount of glucose you absorb from your food and the amount of glucose made by your liver. Metformin also increases your body's response to insulin, a natural substance that controls the amount of glucose in the blood.

The objective of the study, published in leading diabetes journal Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism, was to compare all-cause mortality in diabetic patients treated with either sulphonylurea or metformin with matched individuals without diabetes including age, gender, same general practice...

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[Empireoftheatom48]

I was having diarrhea as well my Doc put me on Janumet. It’s very good my sugar has been good. Check it out!

[blam]

"It is the only drug ever approved for trials by the FDA as a potential life extension medication. Trials are ongoing. I am 61 without any glucose or diabetes issue. I’m in the Philippines and can buy it OTC here and I take it for just the potential health benefit. "

Good for you.

They're beginning giant studies of the benefits on people without diabetes, etc. I wish I had some more...I take 1,000 mg daily for type two.

[right way right]

I’m curious of the amount you take.
You’re are taking it as a supplement?

[upsdriver]

Berberine bump. I’ll explain tomorrow. It’s easier from my computer. I beat diabetes.

[right way right]

I am taking Glyburide too, up to 10 ML a day.
I have to break the Met down into half doses most days and I adjust everything by checking sugar levels 2-6 times a day.
A good A1c at check up for me is 7.0
Trying like hell. And as for neorapathy? It is a real bummer just trying to exercise.

All this whoa is me just makes me want to emphasize how important it is to avoid this disease to others. It's hereditary too, but it can be staved off with early preventive steps. I do not believe metformin is the way to stave it off, I believe diet and exercise is the cure. Why mask the early signs? Cure it instead!

[Jay Redhawk]

Metformin makes practically everyone who takes it sick in the stomach. More people taking it would mean more people living in fear of crapping their pants. It will give a person a really rough, explosive case of the trots.

[OwenKellogg]

Ping me to your berberine post, please.

[GailA]

Sell more of the drug, type 2 diabetes is mainly related to carb intake. Eldest has it, very active, diet the pit of carbs as he works 12-14 hrs a day on the road. To much bread, pasta and sugar, both natural and fruit. When he changed diet to veggies and meats, weight dropped as did BS. no BREADS, PASTAS, OR SUGARS.

I have Gastropresis slow digestion, which means you don’t digest fruits and veggies well, lots of pain, surgeries to chop out blocked out section of bowel until you end up on a colostomy bag. So your diet is protein, breads and pasta NO FIBER. And take my BS every morning. 2 slices of pizza and BS is 120 in the AM, eat lots of protein and BS is in the 80’s.

[cicero2k]

I was diagnosed and treated for Prostate cancer 14 years ago at age 52. Treated three times and study oncology as a hobby.

Some top oncologists think Metformin should be as ubiquitous as statins and blood pressure meds.

[upsdriver]

Berberine. I was diagnosed with diabetes a few years ago following years of doctoring for high blood pressure. About that same time, my doctor decided my cholesterol level was too high(206) and needed to take a statin drug. For diabetes, he prescribed Metformin. It gave me stomachaches. He said it shouldn’t, also prescribed Glipizide. I couldn’t control my blood pressure and was getting sicker. I decided to start researching natural means of better health. I found out that many drugs deplete needed nutrients from the body leading to a host of other diseases. I started supplementing, a lot. Magnesium was first.

I discovered berberine and started taking it and quit the Metformin, etc. I never did take the Simvistatin drug. I also changed my diet, cutting out bread, pasta, all soda pop, limited processed foods, etc. Also would take a short ten minute walk after a meal.

My A1c dropped to normal and so did my cholesterol, all done by natural means.

Here are a few links. Some of the best ones I had were no longer available but these will give you a good picture.

http://www.raysahelian.com/berberine.html

http://nutritionandhealing.com/2014/11/20/metformin-cant-touch-berberine-for-diabetes-treatment/

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2015/06/22/berberine-benefits.aspx#!

http://www.life-enhancement.com/magazine/article/2455-berberine-gives-diabetes-the-12-punch

I have two brothers and a sister who take insulin for diabetes. IMO, they wouldn’t need to if they’d change their lifestyle. Many people “shoot up” in order to keep eating the junk they always have. Taking insulin stops the normal insulin receptors in the body from working properly. In other words, drugs treat the symptom and not the problem.

btw, my blood pressure is also down. My joints are no longer aching. My regime is in taking care of the whole body because one thing leads to another. Healthy blood, healthy gut, healthy brain. Sorry for rambling. I’m quite passionate on this subject.

[upsdriver]

http://www.life-enhancement.com/magazine/article/2439-berberine-is-superior-to-metformin

Missed posting this one. Great info on the benefits of berberine.

[BOBWADE]

I was also taking 2000 milligrams a day but my doctor put me on jardiance and now I’m just taking 1000 milligrams a day.

[trisham]

My husband takes Metformin.

[OwenKellogg]

Thanks for the info. I went through a bottle or two of berberine last year and saw no effect. I will try it again.

[CaptainMorgantown]

I’ve had diabetes for about 5 years. Take metformin and glipizide for glucose control, simvistatin for cholesterol and fenofibrate fir triglycerides. Maybe I’m fortunate, but I’ve never noticed any side effects from metformin.

About 8 months ago, my doctor suggested I might want to consider injections, so I got serious about diet and exercise. I cut out diet soda, cut way back on processed carbs, and eat lots more fruit, salad and nuts. A1c went from 7.4 to 5.6; cholesterol went from 240 to 150; triglycerides went from 400 to 84.

For me, diet and exercise have a lot bigger impact than medications. My original goal was to get off all medications, but having read more about it, I want to keep taking metformin. metformin is made from a lilac plant and has been used for centuries as a herbal remedy. Just because it comes in a pill, I don’t see any difference between that and cinnamon, turmeric, fish oil, or green tea, all of which I include in my diet now.

[txnativegop]

then I am very lucky indeed, as I take 3200 mg daily and have for over a year. no runs, no other side effects from it. My A1c got as high as 6.2 and is now 5.8 to 6.0 I also lost 79 lbs in 12 months just through dietary changes.

[Jay Redhawk]

Really glad to hear Metformin is working for you. Once I dropped 60 pounds or so I no longer needed any medication. But I am a real diet freak with near zero sugar intake, and less than 20 carbs a day. Lots of good vegetables and lean meat. I also use the stairs at work and do a lot of walking. My A1C is now in the mid fives down from over ten. I hope I can keep it up, but if I’m like other members of the family I’ll be back on the meds in a few years. Another thing is that my blood pressure is now normal and I have been able to give up those meds. Keep up the good fight!!

[Yaelle]

Berberine is a more natural supplement and may do the same good but withoutnthe side effects you are experiencing. Check it out. I’m just a dumb person online. But my family has done wonderfully on some Ayurvedic herbs, so I’d give it a try over metformin.

https://draxe.com/berberine/

Just one link among many

[Redcitizen]

It’s a mutation, thus the different spelling.

[steve86]

Re: Mouse studies. You don’t want to rely exclusively on research using mice. All kinds of substances can be shown to do near miraculous things in mice (r.g. cure cancer), yet when tested in humans results are disappointing. Happens all the time.