NEJM: Metformin can effectively reduce the risk of severe COVID-19

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NEJM: Metformin can effectively reduce the risk of severe COVID-19

NEJM: Metformin can effectively reduce the risk of severe COVID-19.

Worthy of being a “magic medicine”, the NEJM paper confirms that Metformin can effectively reduce the risk of severe COVID-19.

In the pharmaceutical world, there is a special drug , Metformin , which is the first-line drug for the treatment of type 2 diabetes and is used by hundreds of millions of patients worldwide.

Interestingly, recent studies have found that in addition to lowering blood sugar and weight loss , Metformin can also improve blood lipid metabolism , reduce the risk of cardiovascular complications , and even have anti-aging and anti-tumor effects.

These many therapeutic effects also make Metformin regarded as a ” magic drug “.

What more surprises can Metformin bring us?

On August 18, 2022, researchers from the University of Minnesota published a research paper titled: Randomized Trial of Metformin, Ivermectin, and Fluvoxamine for Covid-19 in the top international medical journal, The New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM) .

The study shows that the commonly used type 2 diabetes drug Metformin can reduce the risk of emergency department visits, hospitalizations or death due to the COVID-19 by 40%, and if Metformin is used in the early stage of COVID-19 symptoms, it can reduce the risk by 50% .

In addition, the study found no positive effect of ivermectin or low-dose fluvoxamine treatment.

NEJM: Metformin can effectively reduce the risk of severe COVID-19

Dr. Carolyn Bramante , the study’s leader , said the study suggests Metformin may reduce the likelihood of needing to go to the emergency department or hospital for COVID-19, providing a widely available treatment for people with Covid-19.

Previously, Dr. Carolyn Bramante and others published papers in the Journal of Medical Virology and The Lancet Healthy Longevity .

Through computer modeling and observational studies, they found that clinical use of Metformin seems to reduce the risk of hospitalization or death in patients with COVID-19s.

In addition, other studies have pointed out that some in vitro experiments and observational studies have pointed out that fluvoxamine and ivermectin may be helpful in the treatment of COVID-19s.

But in vitro experiments and observational studies could not draw the right conclusions, so the research team conducted this clinical trial called COVID-OUT.

The clinical trial, called COVID-OUT, is the first in the U.S. to study Metformin (a type 2 diabetes drug) , low-dose fluvoxamine (an antidepressant) , ivermectin (an antiparasitic drug) or their whether a combination of Covid-19 patients could be used as a treatment to prevent emergency department visits, hospitalizations, or the risk of long-term sequelae in COVID-19 patients.

NEJM: Metformin can effectively reduce the risk of severe COVID-19

The design of this clinical study is simple. Covid-19 patients were randomly assigned to receive either Metformin, fluvoxamine or ivermectin, or Metformin + fluvoxamine, or Metformin + ivermectin, or placebo agent.

To be double-blind, all participants received two pills, preventing them from being able to distinguish whether they were receiving a single-drug or a two-drug combination.

The treatment time is from 3 to 14 days after the COVID-19 diagnosis, and then their symptoms are tracked.

The results of the study show that Metformin can reduce the risk of emergency room, hospitalization or death due to COVID-19 by more than 40%, and if Metformin is used in the early stage of COVID-19 symptoms, it can reduce the above risk by 50% .

In addition, the study found no positive effect of ivermectin or low-dose fluvoxamine treatment.

NEJM: Metformin can effectively reduce the risk of severe COVID-19

It should be noted that the 1323 participants in this study had an average body mass index (BMI) greater than or equal to ‍ 25kg /m2 , i.e. eligible for overweight.

All participated within three days of testing positive for Covid-19 in one of the first randomized clinical trials of Covid-19 to include pregnant women.

These participants included both vaccinated and unvaccinated people.

Dr. Carolyn Bramante , the leader of the study , said that although the COVID-19 vaccine is very effective in preventing severe disease and death, the COVID-19 mutants are now immune to escape, and not enough vaccines are currently available worldwide.

Therefore, research into safe, available and inexpensive clinical treatment options as soon as possible is equally important to help people already infected with Covid-19 and reduce their long-term sequelae.