Few doctors are prescribing a low-cost drug that has been proven effective in preventing the onset of diabetes, according to a University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) study.
The study, published in the Annals of Internal Medicine, found that only 3.7 percent of U.S. adults with prediabetes were prescribed metformin during a recent three-year period.
Metformin and lifestyle changes can prevent the onset of diabetes, but people often struggle to adopt healthier habits, according to Tannaz Moin, MD, the study’s lead author and an assistant professor of medicine in the division of endocrinology at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA and at VA Greater Los Angeles.
“Diabetes is prevalent, but prediabetes is even more prevalent, and we have evidence-based therapies like metformin that are very safe and that work,” Moin said.
Since many amputees have an increased risk for prediabetes, partly due to a lack of physical activity, metformin could be a potential diabetes-prevention option worth discussing with your doctor.
This article was adapted from information provided by UCLA Health Sciences.
This article is for informational and educational purposes and is not meant to substitute for medical advice from a qualified medical professional.
