Does the diabetes pill metformin reduce long-Covid symptoms? Experts differ

Experts say that one must exercise caution before adopting the findings in India

Experts say that a study published in Lancet on the use of diabetes drug metformin to reduce the incidence of long Covid may not be applicable for the Indian population.

The US-based study published in the Lancet Journal of Infectious Diseases found that a two-week course of metformin reduced the risk of long Covid.

But Indian experts say that one must exercise caution before interpreting these results.

Metformin is a cheap and safe drug used to treat diabetes, polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), and metabolic syndrome.

The Lancet study found that individuals who took Metformin within seven days of the onset of Covid symptoms were less likely to experience long Covid than those who had the placebo.

The absolute risk reduction (ARR) for metformin compared to the placebo was 4.1 percent.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) defines long Covid as the “continuation or development of new symptoms three months after the initial SARS-CoV-2 infection, with the symptoms lasting for at least two months with no other explanation.”

Symptoms of long Covid may include fatigue, shortness of breath, palpitations, memory issues, and more.

The WHO has estimated that about 10-20 percent of Covid patients may go on to develop long Covid.

The apparent effect of metformin was more pronounced in the obese (BMI >30) and the unvaccinated according to the study.

“As a large population in India has been vaccinated and the trial administered metformin within two weeks of Covid diagnosis, the usefulness of this study in India is limited,” said Rajeev Jayadevan, Co-Chairman, National Indian Medical Association Covid-19 task force.

He noted that the study only included overweight participants above 30 years of age and thus the effects of the drug on people with normal body weight — especially those below age 30 — is yet to be investigated.

"We also do not know its effect on people who get repeated Covid infections," he explained.

Jayadevan said that the study does not propose that long Covid be treated with metformin, rather that it apparently reduced the risk of developing long Covid when administered in the initial days of Covid. He added that further studies would help determine the veracity of these findings.

These results are part of the secondary objective for the research, the primary objective being to reduce the severity of Covid by day 14.

"There are a lot of studies taking place in several parts of the world to assess the impact of different medicines on long Covid. We are also doing a few studies," the Director General of the Indian Council of Medical Research, Rajiv Bahl, told Moneycontrol.

The study of the effectiveness of three medications — metformin, ivermectin, and fluvoxamine — in overweight or obese adults newly diagnosed with Covid, was conducted in six sites across the USA.