A new study suggests that metformin, a commonly used diabetes medication, may reduce pain associated with knee osteoarthritis (OA) in overweight or obese patients without causing weight loss. The research, published in JAMA, involved 107 patients who received either metformin or a placebo for six months.
After six months, the treatment group showed a significant reduction in pain levels, with an average decrease of 31.3 mm on the visual analog scale compared to 18.9 mm in the placebo group. The study also found improvements in stiffness and function, but not enough to meet the minimum clinically important difference for OA.
Lead researcher Flavia Cicuttini described the treatment’s effect size as moderate and said it has the potential to slow the progression of knee replacements for early OA. Previous research has shown metformin to have chondroprotective, immunomodulatory, and pain-reducing effects in knee OA.
The study found that metformin did not cause weight loss and had an added benefit of being inexpensive compared to other treatments. However, some patients experienced side effects such as diarrhea. The researchers noted high levels of adherence to the medication.
Physiotherapist Brooke Patterson emphasized the importance of discussing potential risk factors and disease phenotypes with healthcare professionals. She also highlighted the need for more research into OA treatment options due to the diverse nature of the disease.
Source: https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/encouraging-results-seen-metformin-trial-knee-oa-among-2025a1000a3x