Biguanide

Abstract

Metformin, a biguanide, is considered in EASD and ADA to be a first-line glucose-lowering agent for patients with type 2 diabetes. The effectiveness of metformin as an anti-diabetic drug is explained by its ability to lower blood glucose by decreasing hepatic glucose production, stimulating glucose uptake in the muscle, and increasing fatty acid oxidation in adipose tissue. The exact mechanism of this effect has not been fully understood, but metformin is thought to activate hepatic AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK), and it suppresses liver glucagon signal by increasing AMP due to inhibition of mitochondrial respiratory complex I. Caution is advised to avoid use of metformin in patients at risk for lactic acidosis (e.g., in patients with advanced renal and liver insufficiency, infection, dehydration, alcoholism, or in those using diuretics or SGLT2 inhibitor).