Diabetes drug metformin: The diabetes drug metformin is associated with measurable changes in blood metal levels in humans, according to new research from Kobe University published in BMJ Open Diabetes Research & Care.
Researchers analysed serum samples from about 200 diabetes patients treated at Kobe University Hospital; approximately half were taking metformin, while the other half were not. Patients on metformin had lower copper and iron levels and higher zinc levels compared with those not taking the drug, marking the first clinical evidence of such metal shifts in humans.
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Metformin has been used for more than 60 years to lower blood glucose and has reported benefits across cancer, inflammation, and atherosclerosis, yet its exact mechanism remains unclear. Prior lab work suggested the drug can bind certain metals, particularly copper, hinting that metal biology might be part of its action.
“It’s significant that we could demonstrate these changes in humans,” said Wataru Ogawa, an endocrinologist at Kobe University. He noted that decreases in copper and iron and an increase in zinc have been linked to better glucose tolerance and fewer complications, suggesting the metal shifts “may indeed be related to metformin’s action.”
The team also pointed to imeglimin, a newer diabetes medicine derived from metformin but thought to act differently and without the same metal-binding properties. Comparative studies between the two drugs are underway.
The researchers say larger clinical trials and animal studies are needed to determine whether altering metal concentrations drives metformin’s benefits and whether that insight could guide the design of next-generation diabetes treatments.
(Source: BMJ Open Diabetes Research & Care)
