CMAJ Study Finds Metformin Associated with Reduced Risk of Joint Replacement in Diabetic Patients

PainRelief.com Interview with:
Zhaohua Zhu (Alex)
PhD, Associated Professor
Clinical Research Center
Zhujiang Hospital of Southern Medical University

PainRelief.com: What is the background for this study?

Osteoarthritis is a leading cause of pain and disability in older adults, but there are no effective drugs in preventing or reversing osteoarthritis progression.

•Metformin is the first-line pharmacologic treatment and the most commonly prescribed drug worldwide for diabetes mellitus.

•Recent experimental studies have showed that both intragastric and intraarticular metformin use can attenuate cartilage degradation and modulated pain in osteoarthritis mouse models. However, it is unclear whether metformin use is associated with reduced risk of total joint replacement in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus.

Last Updated on December 20, 2022 by PainRelief.com