The Association Between Metformin Use and Outcomes of Hospitalized COVID-19 Patients
Chen-Yi Lin, Hsin-Pei Chung, Yen-Hsiang Tang, Chun-Yen Chen, Chao-Hsien Chen, Wen-Kuei Chang, Kuan-Chih Kuo, Yen-Ting Chen, Jou-Chun Wu, Chang-Yi Lin, Dr Chieh-Jen Wang
Background: Metformin is a widely prescribed medication for type 2 diabetes; however, therapeutic effects beyond glucose control have been reported. Recent studies have suggested its potential in alleviating symptoms of post-COVID-19 condition (long COVID), and possibly shortening the duration of the disease. We conducted this study to investigate whether metformin use could improve the outcomes of hospitalized COVID-19 patients.
Methods: We included patients diagnosed with COVID-19 infection at MacKay Memorial Hospital from May to June 2021. We categorized the patients into metformin and nonmetformin use groups, regardless of their diabetes mellitus status. Results: A total of 285 patients were included. After propensity score matching, 82 patients were enrolled for analysis, including 41 patients in each group. Cox proportional hazards analysis showed that mortality was not related to metformin use (adjusted hazard ra io a con ence in er al p=0.76) or duration of metformin use (aHR: 0.91, 95% CI: 0.74-1.13, p=0.40). However, patients with a longer duration of metformin use had a higher risk of receiving invasive mechanical ventilation support (aHR: 1.08, 95% CI: 1.03-1.13, p=0.003).
Conclusion: Our findings showed that mortality was not significantly associated with metformin use or its duration. However, patients with a longer duration of metformin use appeared to have a higher risk of requiring invasive mechanical ventilation support. Consequently, the duration of metformin use may be linked to the progression of COVID-19. Further studies are warranted to clarify the relevance of metformin use in the treatment of
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