Osteoarthritis is the most common joint condition and the leading cause of disability in older people. We have thought of osteoarthritis as a wear and tear disease just like we think of aging, but there is more to it. Look at the joint next to the fingernail in the middle of the picture. One of the joints is very swollen. It is not just worn. It is swollen. It has gotten bigger.
Hi, Bill. Can you site the reference on metformin slowing osteoarthritis of the human knee, please? I’d like to share is with my rheumatologist and see if she will prescribe metformin for me. As you know, I have had two hip replacements, left and right. And now my left knee is giving me trouble that is all too familiar. I remain very active, and do put a lot of strain on my joints on a daily basis. But this activity in fact seems to help my symptoms, as long as I don’t overdo it. Best, David
In all fairness, I think the fact that this study was conducted on obese people tends to limit its usefulness when considering a general population of non-obese, and non-diabetic, patients. Like myself. ; ). I would not argue the point that metformin may help to limit inflammation. But the knee joint itself is usually considered to be particularly susceptible to the forces imposed on it by weight, even more so than the hip joints. I do have a family history of type II diabetes, in my maternal grandmother, who was quite overweight if not overtly obese.
Bill, Hearing anecdotally from pediatricians about a substantial rise in arthritis diagnosis in young teenagers post COVID vaccine. Any thoughts about this? Is metformin contra-indicated at this early age?
Joint pain may occur in as many as 25% of long COVID patients. The devastating effects of COVID are due to a very severe inflammatory response and long COVID symptoms are most likely related to persistent inflammation. Metformin does have anti-inflammatory effects and reduces COVID mortality. I think we need more study before recommending metformin in kids. Metformin is used for type 2 diabetes in children.
Hi, Bill. Can you site the reference on metformin slowing osteoarthritis of the human knee, please? I’d like to share is with my rheumatologist and see if she will prescribe metformin for me. As you know, I have had two hip replacements, left and right. And now my left knee is giving me trouble that is all too familiar. I remain very active, and do put a lot of strain on my joints on a daily basis. But this activity in fact seems to help my symptoms, as long as I don’t overdo it. Best, David
Association between metformin use and disease progression in obese people with
knee osteoarthritis: data from the Osteoarthritis Initiative—a prospective cohort study
Yuanyuan Wang
In all fairness, I think the fact that this study was conducted on obese people tends to limit its usefulness when considering a general population of non-obese, and non-diabetic, patients. Like myself. ; ). I would not argue the point that metformin may help to limit inflammation. But the knee joint itself is usually considered to be particularly susceptible to the forces imposed on it by weight, even more so than the hip joints. I do have a family history of type II diabetes, in my maternal grandmother, who was quite overweight if not overtly obese.
That makes sense. Slender people can have insulin resistance for other reasons that are not entirely clear to me.
Bill, Hearing anecdotally from pediatricians about a substantial rise in arthritis diagnosis in young teenagers post COVID vaccine. Any thoughts about this? Is metformin contra-indicated at this early age?
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8629735/
https://www.nih.gov/news-events/nih-research-matters/long-covid-symptoms-linked-inflammation#:~:text=Prolonged%20inflammation%20after%20SARS%2DCoV,of%20Long%20COVID%20in%20people.
https://www.uab.edu/news/research/item/11795-metformin-use-reduces-risk-of-death-for-patients-with-covid-19-and-diabetes
Joint pain may occur in as many as 25% of long COVID patients. The devastating effects of COVID are due to a very severe inflammatory response and long COVID symptoms are most likely related to persistent inflammation. Metformin does have anti-inflammatory effects and reduces COVID mortality. I think we need more study before recommending metformin in kids. Metformin is used for type 2 diabetes in children.