Healthy Living Tips

Diabetes Drug Metformin Reduces Knee Pain From Osteoarthritis in Study

Diabetes Drug Metformin Reduces Knee Pain From Osteoarthritis in Study

A new study suggests that the common, inexpensive diabetes medication metformin may help some people with chronic knee pain from osteoarthritis.

Findings recently published in JAMA showed that taking these pills daily over the course of six months lowered pain levels, eased stiffness, and improved knee function in people who are overweight or have obesity.

“Primary care physicians are very familiar with metformin, which is a low-cost, safe medication,” says lead researcher Flavia Cicuttini, PhD, who heads Monash University’s Musculoskeletal Unit and is head of rheumatology at The Alfred Hospital in Melbourne, Australia. “It can be provided to help patients with knee pain in addition to other treatments, including encouraging physical activity.”

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a degenerative joint disease that is more likely to affect people who are overweight or have obesity. Excess weight heightens the pressure on the joint, and that increase in stress can possibly hasten the breakdown of cartilage.

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