New Study Reveals Metformin May Reduce Long Covid

Great news for those who suffer from long Covid: New research suggests that using the diabetes drug metformin for COVID-19 could help lower the risk of long Covid symptoms and improve its recovery time by as much as 41%, according to data presented at the Infectious Disease Week 2024 Annual Meeting and in the New England Journal of.

Metformin for Covid: How it may help long Covid recovery

Metformin is normally a medication used to treat type 2 diabetes. According to the Cleveland Clinic , it controls blood sugar (glucose) and helps your body use insulin effectively. Recent research into off-label use of metformin for Covid outcomes indicates that the drug may lower the risk and severity of long Covid symptoms in some people.

Between 2020 and 2022, a team of researchers, led by Carolyn Bramante, MD, MPH, an internist, pediatrician, and obesity medicine specialist at the University of Minnesota Medical School in Minneapolis, simulated a randomized controlled trial of metformin vs. control using the National COVID Cohort Collaborative (N3C) Electronic Health Record Database.

More than 1,400 people with COVID-19 between the ages of 30 and 85 were enrolled in the trial. The study also included participants who were pregnant or lactating, as they're also at risk for more severe Covid symptoms.

What did the metformin for long Covid study find?

Half of the study group received medications like fluvoxamine and montelukast as placebos, while the other half received metformin, enabling researchers to assess metformin's effect on Covid recovery. Both groups took their respective medications for six days and received follow-up surveys each month for up to 10 months asking about their recovery and any lingering symptoms.

After six months, researchers found that metformin reduced the risk of developing long Covid and risk of death by 53 percent. Currently, the US Food and Drug Administration only approves metformin for diabetes, but its safety and anti-inflammatory properties led Bramante and her team to test it for COVID-19.

The trial also needed to test other medications. Bramante said at the annual meeting that the reason it's important to have an active comparator is to control for things that can't be measured, such as engagement in healthcare and the placebo effect.

Long Covid symptoms reduced by Metformin use

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) , long Covid can include a wide range of ongoing symptoms and conditions that can last weeks, months, or even years.

Common long Covid symptoms include prolonged fatigue, breathing challenges, joint pain and changes in taste or smell. Researchers believe that metformin's anti-inflammatory effects could reduce the persistence of these symptoms. It's not always easy to diagnose these as long covid since many people experience various symptoms. If you're experiencing any of these for an extended time, seeing a doctor or medical professional is best.

Safety and low cost of metformin

Since long Covid presents differently in each person, finding a comprehensive or universal treatment is challenging. Metformin's affordability and established safety profile make it a promising option for long Covid symptom management, especially for non-diabetics who might benefit from its anti-inflammatory effects.

Emily Erbelding, MD, MPH, director of the Division of Microbiology and Infectious Diseases at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, shared the potential implications of the study with Medscape. She said it may be worth it to conduct larger trials with metformin at the center.

"The definition of long COVID may not have been applied exactly the same way across all the patients and you don't know what led the prescribers to prescribe metformin," Erbelding told Medscape. "There might have been confounders that couldn't be controlled for or weren't evident in the way they approached the data."

What to do if you want to take metformin for Covid

Currently, metformin is not yet available as a treatment for long Covid. However, if you suspect you have long covid and are interested in trying metformin, it's best to talk to your doctor. They can discuss the best options with you and other ways to recover.

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This content is not a substitute for professional medical advice or diagnosis. Always consult your physician before pursuing any treatment plan.