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Metformin Works by Reducing Fat Accumulation

April 08, 2018 - Admin
Metformin is a widely used drug to treat type 2 diabetes. The drug is derived from a French lilac plant and has been a tool in herbal medicine since the Middle Ages. Although used by more than 100 million people per day, its mechanism of action is poorly understood. Reuben Shaw from the Salk Institute for Biological Studies in La Jolla, California concluded that metformin works by preventing fatty acid accumulation, which reduces insulin resistance and improves blood sugar control. In obese people, fat accumulation in the liver impairs cellular insulin action, resulting in insulin resistance. The drug also prevents the formation of new blood sugar in the liver, a process called gluconeogenesis. (Nature Medicine, 19:1570-1572)