Metformin and Insulin in Type 1 Diabetes
The first step
- Laurent Meyer, MD and
- Bruno Guerci, MD, PHD
- From the Service de Diabétologie, Maladies Métaboliques & Maladies de la Nutrition, CIC-INSERM, Hôpital Jeanne d’Arc, Centre Hospitalo-Universitaire de Nancy, Toul Cedex, France
The insulin-sparing effect of metformin and its positive effect on glucose metabolism is now well documented in insulin-treated type 2 diabetic patients, although the mechanisms of these effects are not overly clear (1). In insulin-treated type 1 diabetic patients, the use of metformin has only been assessed in a few studies and, surprisingly, the same insulin-sparing effect has been found despite some methodological difficulties. However, the clinical interest of metformin in the treatment of type 1 diabetes has remained questionable. For the first time, we have …
