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. 2014 Dec 15:14:187.
doi: 10.1186/1471-2261-14-187.

Metformin use in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus is associated with reduced risk of deep vein thrombosis: a non-randomized, pair-matched cohort study

Dai-Yin Lu, Chin-Chou Huang, Po-Hsun Huang, Chia-Min Chung, Shing-Jong Lin, Jaw-Wen Chen, Wan-Leong Chan, Hsin-Bang Leu  1
Affiliations

Metformin use in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus is associated with reduced risk of deep vein thrombosis: a non-randomized, pair-matched cohort study

Dai-Yin Lu et al. BMC Cardiovasc Disord. .

Abstract

Background: Metformin, an insulin-sensitizer, may correct several physiologic abnormalities owing to insulin resistance in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM). The effects of metformin on venous thrombosis in patient with type 2 DM have not been reported. Our study strived to explore the relationship of metformin therapy and the subsequent development of deep vein thrombosis (DVT) using a nationwide, population-based database.

Methods: From 1997 to 2003, we identified a study cohort consisting of patients with type 2 DM using metformin 7154 cases in the National Health Insurance Research Database. A control cohort without metformin, matched for age, sex, comorbidities, and medications was selected for comparison.

Results: Of the 14945 patients (7167 patients with metformin vs. 7778 control), 60 (0.40%) patients developed DVT during a mean follow-up period of 3.74 years, including 16 (0.21%) from the cohort with metformin and 44 (0.56%) from the control group. Subjects with metformin experienced a 0.427 fold (95% confidence interval 0.240-0.758; P = 0.004) changes of risk reduction in development of DVT, which was independent of age, sex and co-morbidities. Kaplan-Meier analysis also revealed metformin therapy is associated with lower occurrence of DVT (log-rank test, P = 0.001).

Conclusions: Metformin may have protective effect in patients with type 2 DM for DVT.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Study flow chart.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Kaplan-Meier curves revealed patient under metformin therapy was associated with lower incidence of deep vein thrombosis (log-rank test, p = 0.001).
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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Pre-publication history
    1. The pre-publication history for this paper can be accessed here: http://www.biomedcentral.com/1471-2261/14/187/prepub