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Diabetes mellitus

Complex interplay between metformin, AKI and lactic acidosis

Nature Reviews Nephrology volume 13, pages 521–522 (2017)Cite this article

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Debate exists regarding the safety of metformin and the risk of metformin-associated lactic acidosis, particularly in the setting of kidney dysfunction. Data from two studies examining the interplay between metformin, acute kidney injury, and complications including lactic acidosis suggest that metformin should be used conservatively in patients with kidney dysfunction.

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Acknowledgements

The authors are supported by research grants from the NIH/NIDDK including K23-DK102903 (C.M.R), K24-DK091419 (K.K.-Z), U01-DK102163 (K.K.-Z), and philanthropist grants from H. Simmons, L. Chang and J. Lee.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Harold Simmons Center for Chronic Disease Research and Epidemiology, University of California Irvine, School of Medicine, 101 The City Drive South, City Tower, Suite 400, Orange, 92868, California, USA

    Connie M. Rhee & Kamyar Kalantar-Zadeh

  2. Harold Simmons Center for Chronic Disease Research and Epidemiology, University of California Irvine, School of Medicine, 101 The City Drive South, City Tower, Suite 400, Orange, California 92868, USA; and at the Tibor Rubin Veterans Affairs Medical Center, 5901 E 7 th Street, Long Beach, California 90822, USA.,

    Kamyar Kalantar-Zadeh

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  1. Connie M. Rhee
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Correspondence to Kamyar Kalantar-Zadeh.

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Rhee, C., Kalantar-Zadeh, K. Complex interplay between metformin, AKI and lactic acidosis. Nat Rev Nephrol 13, 521–522 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1038/nrneph.2017.105

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