Study of the effect of Metformin drug on folic acid levels in patients with type 2 diabetes

Abstract

Objectives: Diabetes is a major public health issue that has a significant negative impact on both communities and people. The best treatment for diabetes is metformin, which has the advantage of lowering death rates from all causes, cancer risk, and macrovascular diseases. Despite the fact that metformin is often used and extensively researched, there have only been a small number of randomized controlled studies to examine its effects on folate. In addition, it is yet unclear if short-term medication contributes to vitamin insufficiency. We hypothesize that even a brief period of metformin therapy causes folate levels to drop. However, given that metformin affects vitamins in people with type 2 diabetes, adding folate to the diet may be beneficial.
Methods: 30 people with type 2 diabetes were investigated. physical examination, thorough medical history, and fasting blood samples. After a 12-hour fast, all blood samples were taken.
Results: Our results showed that there is a direct effect of metformin on the deficiency of folic acid, as the level of folic acid decreased in the group of patients compared to the control group and it was significant . There is also an inverse relationship between folic acid and glucose in the group of patients.
Conclusions: Metformin lowers folic acid levels in people with type 2 diabetes. Investigations are still being done on the therapeutic relevance of these results.