Wrongfully accused: metformin use in heart failure

Abstract

Evaluation of: Aguilar D, Chan W, Bozkurt B, Ramasubbu K, Deswal A. Metformin use and mortality in ambulatory patients with diabetes and heart failure. Circ. Heart Fail. 4(1), 53–58 (2010).

Metformin has long been the cornerstone of therapy for glycemic control in patients with Type 2 diabetes worldwide. It is recommended as first-line therapy by all major diabetes clinical practice guidelines owing to its efficacy, favorable tolerability profile and beneficial effects in limiting weight gain. Moreover, metformin is the only oral anthyperglycemic agent shown in randomized controlled trials to reduce mortality in newly diagnosed patients with Type 2 diabetes. However, the use of metformin has not been without controversy, in particular in patients with heart failure. This article will review a recent observational study by Aguilar et al. published in Circulation – Heart Failure that reported improved outcomes associated with metformin therapy in patients with diabetes and heart failure.

Keywords::

• diabetes
• heart failure
• metformin
• mortality

Financial & competing interests disclosure

The authors have no relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organizations or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript. This includes employment, consultancies, honoraria, stock ownership or options, expert testimony, grants or patents received or pending, or royalties.

No writing assistance was utilized in the production of this manuscript.