Gastrointestinal Mechanisms Underlying the Cardiovascular Effect of Metformin

Metformin, the most widely prescribed drug therapy for type 2 diabetes, has pleiotropic benefits, in addition to its capacity to lower elevated blood glucose levels, including mitigation of cardiovascular risk. The mechanisms underlying the latter remain unclear. Mechanistic studies have, hitherto,...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Pharmaceuticals
Main Authors: Malcolm J. Borg, Christopher K. Rayner, Karen L. Jones, Michael Horowitz, Cong Xie, Tongzhi Wu
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2020-11-01
Subjects:
metformin
cardiovascular
gastrointestinal
mechanisms
bile acids
gut microbiota
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/1424-8247/13/11/410
Description
Summary:Metformin, the most widely prescribed drug therapy for type 2 diabetes, has pleiotropic benefits, in addition to its capacity to lower elevated blood glucose levels, including mitigation of cardiovascular risk. The mechanisms underlying the latter remain unclear. Mechanistic studies have, hitherto, focused on the direct effects of metformin on the heart and vasculature. It is now appreciated that effects in the gastrointestinal tract are important to glucose-lowering by metformin. Gastrointestinal actions of metformin also have major implications for cardiovascular function. This review summarizes the gastrointestinal mechanisms underlying the action of metformin and their potential relevance to cardiovascular benefits.
ISSN:1424-8247

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