Is There a Benefit of Metformin after Heart Transplantation?

Approximately 30% of patients undergoing heart transplantation (HTx) may have diabetes mellitus type 2 (DM2). More importantly, DM2 may become more prevalent after HTx because of high corticosteroid use. Metformin - an oral anti-hypoglycemic drug for DM2- has also been demonstrated to have immunomodulatory effects. It has been reported that metformin may decrease acute and chronic rejection as well as the development of cardiac allograft vasculopathy (CAV). Therefore, we reviewed our HTx patients placed on metformin pre-HTx and post-HTx to assess potential outcomes and benefits.
Source: The Journal of Heart and Lung Transplantation - Category: Transplant Surgery Authors: Tags: 678 Source Type: research