Diabetes Drug Metformin - PLHIV weight loss and gut microbiota improvement

[Jim Allen]

Cool result. 23 people who did not have diabetes but were living with HIV took Metformin drug for 12 weeks and showed improvements. More study is needed. 

https://www.poz.com/article/diabetes-drug-metformin-tied-weight-loss-people-hiv

In short:

A small study of people with HIV who did not have diabetes also found that 12 weeks of metformin improved gut microbiome health.

Metformin is an oral diabetes medication that helps control blood sugar and also has anti-inflammatory benefits.

The short treatment with metformin was associated with a reduction in body weight among the participants. This weight loss was associated with higher blood levels of growth differentiating factor-15, a protein that helps people feel like they’ve had enough to eat.

The investigators also found that metformin was associated with an increase in anti-inflammatory bacteria in the gut.

The study authors concluded: “A larger randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trial with longer metformin treatment will be needed to further investigate the role of metformin in reducing inflammation and the risk of non-AIDS” health conditions in people with HIV on antiretroviral treatment.

[xrel0aded]

I mean great but I don't understand why this is even being studied. There should a bigger focus on increasing healthy lifestyle factors that will lower blood sugar, weight and inflammatory markers which don't have more nasty side effects.