Metformin May Reduce Mortality Risk in Patients with CKD, CLD, and CHF

A new study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine has found that metformin was associated with lower risk of mortality in patients with type II diabetes and chronic kidney disease (CKD), congestive heart failure (CHF), and chronic liver disease (CLD) with hepatic impairment, and reduced heart failure related readmissions in patients with CKD and CHF.

Researchers assessed data from 17 studies on MEDLINE from January 1994 to September 2016, Cochrane Library, EMBASE, and International Pharmaceutical Abstracts from January 1994 to November 2015 that included participants with type II diabetes and CKD, CHF, or CL, were taking metformin, and included morality or major cardiovascular events in the outcomes of the study.
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Their findings showed that metaformin was associated with reduced all-cause mortality in patients with CKD, CHF, and CLD with hepatic impairment. Likewise, there were fewer readmissions for patients with CKD and CHF.

"Our findings support the recent changes in metformin labeling," the researchers concluded.

—Melissa Weiss

Reference:

Crowley MJ, Diamantidis CJ, McDuffie JR, et al. Clinical outcomes of metformin use in populations with chronic kidney disease, congestive heart failure, or chronic liver disease: a systematic review [published online January 3, 2017]. Annals of Internal Medicine. doi:10.7326/M16-1901.