Metformin is a drug that is usually used to treat type 2 diabetes. However, it has also been found to have positive effects on other diseases. According to a study from 2021, metformin can reduce the risk of osteoarthritis by 24% compared to sulfonylurea, another common diabetes drug. The study also investigated whether metformin could reduce the risk of needing a joint replacement surgery, but the results were similar for both drugs.
The study included people over 40 years of age who were treated with either metformin or sulfonylurea between 2003 and 2019. The researchers suggest that more studies be conducted to investigate the effect of metformin on osteoarthritis.
Artrosportalen has written about previous studies that have investigated the effect of metformin on osteoarthritis. You can read more about it here.
The entire study is available on JAMA Network, the page opens in a new tab when you click here.
