Skip to main content
Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine logoLink to Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine
. 1989 Feb;82(2):93–94. doi: 10.1177/014107688908200213

The reduction of low density lipoprotein cholesterol by metformin is maintained with long-term therapy.

S G Rains 1, G A Wilson 1, W Richmond 1, R S Elkeles 1
PMCID: PMC1292002  PMID: 2647992

Abstract

Changes in serum lipoproteins were studied in 14 non-insulin dependent diabetics on long-term metformin therapy, after 6 weeks' placebo, and again 6 weeks after restarting active drug therapy. Withdrawal of metformin resulted in a rise of fasting blood glucose, HbA1, serum total and low density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol. Restarting the drug reversed these changes. Multivariate analysis showed that serum total and LDL cholesterol varied with treatment but not with glycaemic control. Metformin can lower serum total and LDL cholesterol in non-insulin dependent diabetics and this effect is maintained long term.

Full text

PDF

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Friedewald W. T., Levy R. I., Fredrickson D. S. Estimation of the concentration of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol in plasma, without use of the preparative ultracentrifuge. Clin Chem. 1972 Jun;18(6):499–502. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Lewis B. The lipoproteins: predictors, protectors, and pathogens. Br Med J (Clin Res Ed) 1983 Oct 22;287(6400):1161–1164. doi: 10.1136/bmj.287.6400.1161. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Panzram G. Mortality and survival in type 2 (non-insulin-dependent) diabetes mellitus. Diabetologia. 1987 Mar;30(3):123–131. doi: 10.1007/BF00274216. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Seviour P. W., Teal T. K., Richmond W., Elkeles R. S. Serum lipids, lipoproteins and macrovascular disease in non-insulin-dependent diabetics: a possible new approach to prevention. Diabet Med. 1988 Mar;5(2):166–171. doi: 10.1111/j.1464-5491.1988.tb00965.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Warnick G. R., Benderson J., Albers J. J. Dextran sulfate-Mg2+ precipitation procedure for quantitation of high-density-lipoprotein cholesterol. Clin Chem. 1982 Jun;28(6):1379–1388. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine are provided here courtesy of Royal Society of Medicine Press

RESOURCES