Objective: To evaluate the safety of metformin in the treatment of elderly type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM).
Methods: Two hundred and forty-three cases of elderly T2DM hospitalized from Jan. 1996 to Dec. 2006 were reviewed; the changes of fasting blood glucose(FBG), postprandial blood glucose (PBG), glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c), liver and renal function and blood lactic acid were evaluate before and after treatment.
Results: The mean time of treatment with metformin was (6.6 +/- 3.9) years (3 months - 21 years) in these 243 cases. The levels of FBG, PBG and HbA1c significantly reduced after treatment with metformin only in 43 cases (17.7%), metformin combined with other oral hypoglycemic drugs in 124 cases (51.0%) and metformin combined with insulin in 76 cases (31.3%). There was only 18.1% of the cases with normal range (> 80 ml/min) of creatinine clearance rate (Ccr), and 25.8% of the cases with Ccr <or= 50 ml/min. The liver and renal function as well as the blood lactic acid had no significant change after treatment no matter in total cases or in different groups separated by Ccr.
Conclusions: Metformin is safety in the treatment of elderly T2DM patients. Ageing is not the contraindication of metformin. To the patients with high risk, we should monitoring the level of blood lactic acid.