Hyderabad: Metformin, the drug commonly prescribed for Type-2 Diabetes by doctors to control blood glucose levels, proved effective against vascular disease Atherosclerosis, a disease that causes the constriction of passageway for blood in blood vessels due to deposition of fat and plaque and can lead to cardiac arrest.
Researchers Dr Srigiridhar Kotamraju, Sathish Vasamsetti, Santosh Karnewar, Koteswararao Kanugula, Dr Jarald Mahesh Kumar and Avinash Raj from CCMB carried out the study and published their work in a Diabetes journal.
Scientists found that the drug prevented the exacerbation of the disease and even worked to increase good cholesterol and at the same time, reduce bad cholesterol.
“People think that Metformin is cardio-protective. Our research has now proven this for the condition Atherosclerosis and it is true for non-diabetic people also. But clinicians have to ultimately observe and tell us,” Dr Kotamraju, senior scientist, IICT, said. This also means that diabetes patients on Metformin prescription would be less likely to develop cardiovascular diseases.
But scientists say Metformin’s capabilities are not just limited to controlling glucose and inhibiting cardiovascular diseases. It is now being thought of as a wonder-drug that can check cancer and neuro-generative diseases.
IICT scientists say Metformin-like compounds have effectively killed cancer cells of all varieties. “It has anti-cancer properties. In our lab, we have seen that Metformin actually kills cancer cells. So it could be that patients who are on the drug could be less prone to developing cancer. It is being seen as a wonder-drug now,” Dr Srigiridhar said. Studies are going on around the world to find the potency of the drug against various diseases.
