The Effects of Metformin on Blood Vessel Structure and Function - Full Text View

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to evaluate whether the drug Metformin has beneficial effects on the blood vessels of individuals with the Metabolic Syndrome (MeS).

Condition	Intervention	Phase
Obesity Hypertension Hypercholesterolemia Hyperglycemia	Drug: Metformin Drug: Placebo	Phase 2


Study Type:	Interventional
Study Design:	Allocation: Randomized Endpoint Classification: Efficacy Study Intervention Model: Parallel Assignment Masking: Double Blind (Subject, Caregiver, Investigator, Outcomes Assessor) Primary Purpose: Treatment
Official Title:	The Effects of Metformin on Vascular Structure and Function in Subjects With the Metabolic Syndrome (MET Trial)

Resource links provided by NLM:

MedlinePlus related topics: Cholesterol Hyperglycemia Metabolic Syndrome

Drug Information available for: Metformin Metformin hydrochloride

U.S. FDA Resources

Further study details as provided by National Institutes of Health Clinical Center (CC):

Primary Outcome Measures:

decrease in arterial stiffness [ Time Frame: 4.5 months ] [ Designated as safety issue: No ]
improvement in endothelial function [ Time Frame: 4.5 months ] [ Designated as safety issue: No ]


Enrollment:	70
Study Start Date:	January 2004
Study Completion Date:	May 2008
Primary Completion Date:	May 2008 (Final data collection date for primary outcome measure)

Arms	Assigned Interventions
Experimental: 1	Drug: Metformin 850mg tablet once a day for one month, then twice a day for 3 months Other Name: Fortamet®; Glucophage®; Glumetza™; Riomet™
Placebo Comparator: 2	Drug: Placebo placebo tablet once a day for one month, then twice a day for 3 months

Detailed Description:

Individuals with the Metabolic Syndrome (MeS) are at increased risk for developing cardiovascular diseases. This increased risk may, in part, be related to abnormalities in the blood vessels. MeS is defined as having 3 or more of the following 5 criteria:

Abdominal obesity (waist measurement >39.8 inches in men, >34.4 inches in women)
Elevated triglycerides (>150 mg/dl)
Low HDL or "good" cholesterol (<40 mg/dl in men or <50 mg/dl in women)
Elevated blood pressure (>130/85) or treatment for high blood pressure
Elevated fasting blood sugar (>100 mg/dl)

Metformin is a medication that is approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the treatment of diabetes; however, it can also be safely administered to non-diabetic subjects. We are evaluating whether Metformin reduces the stiffness of blood vessels and improves endothelial function.

This study requires 4 visits to the NIA Clinical Research Center (located on the premises of Harbor Hospital) over a 5-month period. At the initial visit, patients will be given a physical examination with blood and urine tests, and an EKG. They will be randomized into one of two groups; one group will receive Metformin (1700 mg per day), while the other group will receive a placebo. Participants will take the medication for 4 months. Subsequent visits will include additional blood tests, ultrasound and echo exams.

Taking part in this study is entirely voluntary. All testing and medications will be provided at no cost to the participant or their family.

Eligibility


Ages Eligible for Study:	21 Years to 80 Years (Adult, Senior)
Genders Eligible for Study:	Both
Accepts Healthy Volunteers:	No

Criteria

Inclusion Criteria:

Participants with the Metabolic Syndrome, which is defined as having 3 or more of the following 5 alterations:

Abdominal obesity (waist measurement >39.8 inches in men, >34.4 inches in women)
Elevated triglycerides (>150 mg/dl)
Low HDL or "good" cholesterol (<40 mg/dl in men or <50 mg/dl in women)
Elevated blood pressure (>130/85) or treatment for high blood pressure
Elevated fasting blood sugar (>100 mg/dl)

Exclusion Criteria:

Diabetes treated with medication
Blood pressure >160/100 mmHg
Clinical Congestive Heart Failure
Anemia with hematocrit <32%
Asthma or Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) requiring daily medication or use of home oxygen therapy
Major surgery planned within the next six months
A recent, unexplained weight loss of >10% of body weight in the past 6 months
A known allergy or hypersensitivity to Metformin
History of hepatitis or cirrhosis
History of kidney disease (defined as serum creatinine >1.4 mg/dL in men, >1.3 mg/dL in women)
Pregnancy or the absence of an effective method of contraception
Illicit drug or alcohol abuse
Cancer requiring treatment currently or recently completed treatment in the last 2 months

Contacts and Locations

Choosing to participate in a study is an important personal decision. Talk with your doctor and family members or friends about deciding to join a study. To learn more about this study, you or your doctor may contact the study research staff using the Contacts provided below. For general information, see Learn About Clinical Studies.

Please refer to this study by its ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT00105066

Locations


United States, Maryland
National Institute on Aging (NIA), Harbor Hospital
Baltimore, Maryland, United States, 21225

Sponsors and Collaborators

National Institute on Aging (NIA)

Investigators


Principal Investigator:	Luigi Ferrucci, MD	National Institute on Aging (NIA)

More Information

Publications:

Knowler WC, Barrett-Connor E, Fowler SE, Hamman RF, Lachin JM, Walker EA, Nathan DM; Diabetes Prevention Program Research Group. Reduction in the incidence of type 2 diabetes with lifestyle intervention or metformin. N Engl J Med. 2002 Feb 7;346(6):393-403.

Beisswenger PJ, Howell SK, Touchette AD, Lal S, Szwergold BS. Metformin reduces systemic methylglyoxal levels in type 2 diabetes. Diabetes. 1999 Jan;48(1):198-202.

Mather KJ, Verma S, Anderson TJ. Improved endothelial function with metformin in type 2 diabetes mellitus. J Am Coll Cardiol. 2001 Apr;37(5):1344-50.

Effect of intensive blood-glucose control with metformin on complications in overweight patients with type 2 diabetes (UKPDS 34). UK Prospective Diabetes Study (UKPDS) Group. Lancet. 1998 Sep 12;352(9131):854-65. Erratum in: Lancet 1998 Nov 7;352(9139):1558.


Responsible Party:	National Institute on Aging (NIA)
ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier:	NCT00105066 History of Changes
Other Study ID Numbers:	AG0017
Study First Received:	March 3, 2005
Last Updated:	August 2, 2012
Health Authority:	United States: Federal Government

Keywords provided by National Institutes of Health Clinical Center (CC):


Metabolic Syndrome triglycerides HDL LDL	High Blood Pressure High Cholesterol High Blood Sugar

Additional relevant MeSH terms:


Hypercholesterolemia Hyperglycemia Hyperlipidemias Dyslipidemias Lipid Metabolism Disorders	Metabolic Diseases Glucose Metabolism Disorders Metformin Hypoglycemic Agents Physiological Effects of Drugs

ClinicalTrials.gov processed this record on September 27, 2016