A 3-month treatment with Metformin in newly diagnosed Type-2 Diabetics (T2DM) demonstrated an association with improved glucose control (HbA1c) and reduction in Th1 & Th17-mediated inflammation.
Over these 3-4 days (definition of “a few”), I shall highlight several drugs whose mode of action and efficacy in various rheumatic diseases have piqued my interest.
Vitamin D, and perhaps fish oils, would have been on my list, except that they are not prescription meds. Besides, I’ve devoted much space to them in earlier posts.
Metformin is mainly used in T2DM to reduce insulin resistance, but it also found to be effective in seemingly unrelated conditions like Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome. Lately, emerging evidence suggests it may play a role in reducing inflammation, hence possibly finding utility in both inflammatory and metabolic disorders.
A Few Good Meds #1: METFORMIN downregulates Th17 cells differentiation in murine autoimmune arthritis
A Few Good Meds #1: METFORMIN modifies Gut Microbiota & modulates Metabolism
Gut Microbiota and Metabolic Disorders
Novel Gut-Based Pharmacology of Metformin in Patients with T2DM
Gut processing of Metformin, involving interplay of bile acids, gut hormones and microbiota, is a significant mode of action in glucose homeostasis, apart from the traditional hepatic and muscular AMPK pathway.
A Few Good Meds #1: Metformin in Metabolism, Inflammation, Subfertility & Cancer
The recent discovery of its Th17 inhibitory role, and its microbiome-mediated metabolic effects help explain its pleiotropic efficacies in immune and metabolic disorders.
Anecdotally, I have seen my T2DM patients’ psoriasis improve on Metformin, reinforcing my belief that Psoriasis (and perhaps PsA) amd the Metabolic Syndrome are pathogenically linked.