Type Two Diabetes Drug May Help Obese Adolescents Lose Weight

Metformin is a medication primarily used in the treatment of type 2 diabetes. However, it may also help overweight adolescents to lose weight. By taking extended-release metformin as part of a lifestyle intervention program, obese teenagers have a greater likelihood of reducing their body mass index (BMI) than those who make lifestyle changes alone. (BMI is a ratio of weight in relation to height used to signify obesity.)

These findings are the result of a study conducted by Darrell M. Wilson, M.D., of Stanford University in California and colleagues in the Glaser Pediatric Research Network. Although the use of Metformin in the treatment of adolescent obesity has become relatively common, there have been no studies to support its effectiveness until now. The report on the analysis was recently published in Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine.

The analysis involved 77 non-diabetic teenagers between the ages of 13 and18 having a BMI equal to or above the 95th percentile. The subjects all participated in a lifestyle intervention program, while 39 of the study participants were treated with a daily dose of 2,000 milligrams of metformin hydrochlorideXR, and the other 38 were given a placebo. Both the metformin and the two placebos used in the study were supplied by Bristol-Myers Squibb.

After a period of 48 weeks, an increase in BMI of 0.2 was observed among members of the placebo group, while a 0.9 decrease was noted in the members of the metformin group. After an additional 48-week follow up period, the researchers found that the positive effects of the drug were sustained for 12 to 24 weeks after treatment had ended.