How does Metformin Work?

Metformin is an antidiabetic medication that regulates the production of insulin in the body. It is prescribed for many different disorders, most commonly for patients with Type 2 Diabetes. In this case, the body is overproducing insulin and Metformin will aid the liver to reduce its production of insulin by up to one third of the rate.

What does Metformin Do?

Prescribing physicians will incorporate a treatment program that consists of Metformin due to its ability to activate AMP, or activated protein kinase. This is an enzyme produced by the body that regulates glucose metabolism and also signals the body for the manufacturing of insulin. When this enzyme production is compromised, insulin production is increased drastically, leading to Type 2 Diabetes and other significant disorders.

Other abilities of Metformin therapies include a suppression of hepatic glucose manufacturing within the body, an increased sensitivity to insulin, and an enhancement of the oxidation of fatty acids. This leads to the decrease of the rate in which glucose is absorbed into the intestinal tract and may also improve the binding capabilities between insulin and insulin receptors.

What is Metformin Used For?

In addition to its use as an effective treatment program in patients with Type 2 Diabetes, is it also very often prescribed as a Prediabetes therapy in patients who are at high risk for incurring this ailment. The importance of a change in lifestyle is very often a critical component of the Metformin treatment program by the prescribing physician.

This would include a proper diet program and exercise regimen which are perhaps the most important factors to decreasing the chance for Type 2 Diabetes to incur. Studies have shown that high risk patients on a prediabetic therapy of Metformin can reduce the likelihood of Type 2 Diabetes development by as much as 58%.

Another very popular reason for the prescribing of this medication is for treatment in women with polycystic ovary syndrome, typically in patients whose body mass index exceeds 25%. Metformin is an aid for gestational diabetes and is sometimes used in newborns, but its long ranging affects are still unclear in child development.

Due to its insulin regulating advantages, Metformin is known to assist in weight loss, although it is not prescribed for this specific condition in general. Decreased weight loss can also lead to additional cancer prevention opportunities which are another wonderful benefit for the use of Metformin in many medical treatment therapies.