Results from a population-based cohort study published in the Journal of the Canadian Medical Association suggested that Metformin use among those with type 2 diabetes may be effective in total joint replacement.

The Taiwan-based study evaluated data from 40,694 patients who were equally divided into two groups: first those using Metformin and second those who were not taking in the National Health Insurance Research Database. People suffering from Type 1 diabetes and those who were under 45 at the time of their diabetes diagnosis were excluded from the study.

In the beginning, 16% of the participants in the group had osteoarthritis and less than 1% had obesity. Hypertension, hyperlipidemia, depression, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease were some of the most prevalent comorbidities. 

It was found that Metformin usage was linked with reduced risk of total hip and knee replacement. It was observed that over a median follow-up of 54 months, taking Metformin daily was associated with a 30% decreased risk of total knee and hip replacement compared with those not taking it. Compared to people on Metformin, nonusers experienced a hip or knee joint replacement incidence of 4.99 per 10,000 person months.

The researchers also attempted to determine whether or not this association was dose-dependent but concluded that their findings were "inconsistent."

Experts claimed that Metformin could be able to reduce the risk of joint replacement among patients with diabetes mellitus through different mechanisms such as decreasing inflammation, maintaining adenosine 5′-monophosphate-activated protein kinase activity in chondrocytes, and controlling metabolism.

(Source: https://www.medpagetoday.com/endocrinology/diabetes/102293)