- Metformin - help with diabetes
- Mechanism of action
What is diabetes
Diabetes mellitus - a chronic disease that develops as a result of failure or low biological activity of the hormone insulin, which promotes the absorption of glucose by body tissues.
Diabetes mellitus type I is characterized in that the affected cells in the pancreas
Diabetes and pancreas - the things you need to know
That produce insulin. No insulin, glucose misses the cells and accumulates in the blood. To treat this type of diabetes using insulin.
Type II diabetes mellitus is associated with changes in tissue sensitivity to insulin. It usually develops in older age, more often in people who are overweight, who lead a sedentary lifestyle. Insulin thus enough, but it loses its activity, so blood sugar as much, but it is not absorbed by the tissues. For the treatment of type II diabetes used drugs that increase the activity of insulin.
The mechanism of action of metformin
Metformin (analogues - siofor, Glucophage) is a biguanide - a group of drugs that inhibit the formation of glucose
Glucose: The energy source
of protein in the liver and increase the uptake of glucose by tissues. First biguanides have many side effects, metformin - one of the last of these preparations and is devoid of significant side effects.
Under the influence of metformin enhances the absorption of sugar skeletal muscle and slows down its absorption in the gut. This reduces blood sugar. Metformin increases blood circulation in the liver and accelerates the conversion of glucose into glycogen (glycogen stored in the liver as a strategic reserve of glucose). It does not affect the amount of insulin in the blood, but enhances its activity. Glucose-lowering ability of metformin occurs only in patients with diabetes, and in healthy people, it reduces the amount of sugar in the blood only during prolonged starvation.
Patients receiving metformin typically lose weight during the year to several kilograms of the fact that it inhibits the formation of fat and has the ability to reduce appetite. It decreases the synthesis of fatty acids and of "harmful" cholesterol that is deposited on the walls of blood vessels in the form of plaques. Metformin has a positive effect on protein metabolism, promoting transport of amino acids into cells and the synthesis of their own proteins of the body. By suppressing the activity of certain enzymes by the action of metformin improved antithrombotic properties of the blood, which is very important for elderly patients who have a tendency to thrombophlebitis.
Metformin is almost bound to plasma proteins, it accumulates in the salivary glands, liver and kidneys. Excreted in the urine, while kidney function can accumulate in the body.
Indications for use
Metformin shows:
- in diabetes mellitus type II in the case where a diet inadequate, and if the patient has obesity;
- diabetes mellitus type I - as a supplement to insulin to reduce the need for insulin.
During treatment requires monitoring of renal function. Apply metformin in combination therapy with insulin
The principles of action of insulin - the science of saving lives
It is possible only in a hospital under constant medical supervision and laboratory control blood sugar.
Possible reactions
When receiving metformin, the following side effects:
- from the gastrointestinal tract - nausea, vomiting, diarrhea;
- on the part of the endocrine system - hypoglycemia (lowering blood sugar
Blood sugar - a very important indicator
below normal);
- Hematopoietic system - anemia.
Metformin - a modern drug that has not only antidiabetic effect, but also normalizes all other types of metabolism in patients with type II diabetes.
Galina Romanenko
