Research
Hormonal
Metformin is the first-line pharmacological treatment for Type 2 Diabetes, reducing HbA1c by ~1.5% and fasting glucose by ~20%, with additional cardiovascular and potential cancer-preventive benefits.
Metformin is the standard first drug for Type 2 Diabetes. It lowers blood sugar by about 1.5% and helps heart health. Common side effects like stomach upset are usually mild and go away. It is safe for kidneys if your eGFR is above 45. If your kidney function drops below 30, you should not take it.
GoodSupportsHIGH confidence
Metformin is considered the agent of first line for treatment of T2DM, in the absence of contraindications... It decreases fasting blood glucose by approximately 20% and HbA1c by 1.5%... Metformin does not have adverse cardiovascular effects, and it appears to decrease cardiovascular events... Observational data suggest that metformin decreases cancer incidence.
Why this rating
Supported by UKPDS, meta-analyses, and observational studies.
Source
Update on the treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus
Juan José Marín-Peñalver et al. · World Journal of Diabetes · 2016
DOI 10.4239/wjd.v7.i17.354
narrative_reviewCited 653×
Read the paper DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10
Related findings · Hormonal
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