Metformin is the most commonly prescribed anti-diabetes drug that is available in the market as Glucophage (pdf file)-a product of Bristol-Myers Squibb.




Now, metformin can potentially result in successful pregnancy outcomes in women who are obese and have type 2 diabetes or have a family history of type 2 diabetes.

Such were the findings of a study in mice by a team from Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis which actually suggests that Metformin could potentially improve pregnancy outcomes in women with insulin resistance.

According to Kelle Moley, M.D., lead author and professor of obstetrics and gynecology at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis:

"We found that embryos of insulin-resistant mice also have some degree of insulin resistance, and if we correct the insulin resistance in the embryo with this drug, we improve the quality of the embryo.

We found that Metformin improves glucose uptake and improves the survival of the early embryo as a result.Mouse embryos in a high-insulin environment that were not exposed to Metformin did not survive."

Also, women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) are given metformin to prevent miscarriage. PCOS (an endocrine disorder that affects insulin) results to higher rate of miscarriages. Women with PCOS often share the same pregnancy complications as women with type 2 diabetes and obesity.

If these theories that made metformin worked in mice will work in the same way in humans, then it will be great for those in the abovementioned conditions to have the chance on successful pregnancies.

Anyway, however much metformin work successfully on these women, I guess it would be better to lose weight or treat insulin resistance first before trying to get pregnant. Simply because pregnancy has it own complications already without adding obesity or insulin resistance to it. Don't you think?

Source: