[Combination treatment with insulin and metformin in type 2 diabetes. Improves glycemic control and prevents weight gain]

Abstract

Type II diabetes patients on insulin often show inadequate glycaemic control and weight gain. The rationale for adding metformin in these cases is that it can reduce insulin resistance. The present article reviews the growing body of clinical documentation supporting combination therapy, i.e. placebo-controlled studies in insulin-treated patients and controlled studies with reference therapies in patients not yet treated with insulin. These studies show improvement of glycaemic control and less weight gain. Insulin dosages can be reduced in both type II and type I diabetes. A combination of insulin and metformin is recommended especially for obese type II diabetes patients on high insulin doses.