A recently published study revealed that individuals who received metformin during their COVID-19 infection experienced a significant decrease in long COVID rates.
According to a press release issued June 9 by the Parsemus Foundation, a study recently published in the Lancet Infectious Diseases revealed that individuals who used metformin during a COVID-19 infection experienced a significant 41% decrease in long COVID rates. Additionally, the study noted a 42% reduction in emergency room visits, hospitalizations, or mortality among COVID-19 patients who received metformin treatment. The study was funded by the Parsemus Foundation.
"The results of this study are important because long COVID can have a significant impact on people's lives," said Dr. Carolyn Bramante, principal investigator and assistant professor at the University of Minnesota Medical School.
A team of researchers hailing from multiple academic institutions researched the potential of three widely-used generic medications in a project known as the COVID-OUT study. Researchers compared metformin, ivermectin, and fluvoxamine in their effectiveness as treatment of COVID-19 in recently diagnosed adults. The clinical trial was designed with randomization, quadruple blinding, and placebo control and ultimately strove to uncover whether any of the medications could decrease long COVID rates. The study's findings concluded individuals who initiated metformin treatment within seven days of experiencing COVID symptoms were 41% less likely to suffer from long COVID compared to those who received a placebo. The results for patients who received metformin within four days was even more promising with a reported 63% reduction of long COVID.
"Metformin is an inexpensive, safe and widely available drug, and its use as a preventative measure could have significant public health implications," Bramante said.
Currently, metformin is one of the most widely prescribed drugs in the United States and globally, taken by more than 150 million patients each year. Amidst a devastating death toll of more than 6.8 million from the pandemic, metformin stands as the first proven, safe, accessible, and cost-effective treatment to reduce the impact of long COVID.
