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Diabetes

Insulin plus metformin for T2DM—are there benefits?

When insulin therapy is introduced in advanced stages of type 2 diabetes mellitus many patients are already being treated with metformin and continue to receive this oral antihyperglycaemic agent. In a systematic review and meta-analysis, Hemmingsen et al. have evaluated the evidence for the benefits of this combination therapy.

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Figure 1: Suggested mechanism for the actions of metformin and its interactions with the insulin signalling pathway.

References

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The author declares associations with the following companies: Astra Zeneca, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Lilly, MSD and Novo Nordisk (consultancy/speakers bureau); and Boehringer Ingelheim, GlaxoSmithKline, Sanofi and Takeda (consultancy).

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Bailey, C. Insulin plus metformin for T2DM—are there benefits?. Nat Rev Endocrinol 8, 449–450 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1038/nrendo.2012.106

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