N 117 12/4/99

METFORMIN (GLUCOPHAGE) FOR WEIGHT LOSS

Gabe MIRKIN, MD

Metformin sold under the trade name, Glucophage, is used to treat diabetes, but several recent papers show that it helps people to lose weight by reducing hunger In people who do not have diabetes (I) as well as those who have that disease (I4).

After you eat, sugar goes from your intestines into your bloodstream, and then
immediately into your liver. Then your liver releases sugar back into your bloodstream to cause your blood sugar level to rise. To keep blood sugar levels from rising too high, your pancreas releases insulin into your bloodstream. Insulin make's you hungry all the time and causes your liver to Convert extra calories to fat and it constricts arteries to cause heart attacks. You need insulin to keep blood sugar levels from rising too high to cause diabetes, nerve damage, heart attacks, strokes and kidney damage. Giutophage reduces sugar release from your liver to prevents blood sugar Levels from rising too high, so your body doesn't need t produce as much insulin that makes you hungry and causes your liver to make fat (3,13,14).

Glucophage lowers insulin levels [4), prevents many of the side effects of diabetes and can be used by people who want to lose weight However, Glucophage is not effective when your blood is acidic from excess lactic acid and recent research shows that exercise, which raises lactic acid, does not cause blood acid levels to rise enough to reduce Glucophage's benefits (5). Glucophage, itself, does not raise blood lactate levels and is therefore considerably safer than doctors originally thought. Since Glucophage lowers insulin, diabetics should be placed on Glucophage to lower their requirements for all other medications used to treat diabetes (6). I usually start my patients on one 500-mg pill three times a day before each meal,

A common cause of obesity in women is called polycystic ovary syndrome which is caused by having high blood levels of insulin. Glucophage helps these women to lose Weight (7-12). Avoid sugar, bread spaghetti macaroni bagels, cookies, crackers, rolls, white rice and potatoes and eat plenty of whole grains.

1) G. Paolisso, L Amato, R.Ecellente A. Gambardella, MR Tagliamonte, G Varricchio, C Carella, D. Giugliano, F. Donofrio. Effect of metformin on food intake in obese subjects. European Journal of Clinical Investigation 28: 6(JUN 1998):441-446.

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