Effectiveness of metformin as initial treatment on the metabolic profile of Saudi patients newly diagnosed with type 2 diabetes mellitus : A prospective observational study
9 affiliations
- 1Department of Clinical Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
- 2College of Medicine, King Saud Bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
- 3King Abdullah International Medical Research Center, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
- 4Family Medicine and Primary Health Care Centre, Prince Mohammed Bin Abdulaziz Hospital, National Guard Health Affairs, Madinah, Saudi Arabia
- 5Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
- 6Department of Genetic Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
- 7Princess Al-Jawhara Center of Excellence in Research of Hereditary Disorders, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
- 8Department of Family Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
- 9Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
Abstract
The incidence of diabetes is increasing in several countries, including Saudi Arabia. Metformin is a common treatment for type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM); however, its effect on the metabolic profile of patients newly diagnosed with T2DM remains unclear. To evaluate the effects of metformin on the metabolic profile, including hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) and lipid levels, in patients newly diagnosed with T2DM in Madinah, Saudi Arabia. This prospective observational study involved 82 participants newly diagnosed with T2DM. The participants were aged between 30 and 65 years, and their HbA1c level was ≥6.5% higher than the normal range. None of them had taken any oral hypoglycemic medication before metformin treatment. Fourteen patients did not undergo regular follow-ups. A total of 68 patients completed the study. The primary outcomes were changes in HbA1c, cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein (LDL), and hepatic enzyme marker levels. The HbA1c level significantly reduced after the 12-week treatment period (6.85% vs 7.29% at baseline, P = .001). Furthermore, 67.3% of the patients exhibited a noteworthy decrease in cholesterol (4.68 vs 5.18 mmol/L at baseline, P = .014) and LDL levels (3.03 vs 3.52 mmol/L at baseline, P = .006). However, no significant changes were observed in the levels of the other lipid profile markers. Various dosages of metformin showed comparable effects in reducing HbA1c, cholesterol, and LDL levels, but inconsistent effects on hepatic enzymes. The results suggest that metformin can be considered an initial treatment option for patients newly diagnosed with T2DM. These findings are significant given the increasing prevalence of diabetes in Saudi Arabia and the need for effective and safe treatment options. Further studies are required to explore the pharmacogenomics and metabolomics of metformin in this specific population.
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BibTeX
@article{alkreathy2026effectiveness,
title = {{Effectiveness of metformin as initial treatment on the metabolic profile of Saudi patients newly diagnosed with type 2 diabetes mellitus : A prospective observational study}},
author = {Huda Alkreathy and Fawaz Abdullah Alharbi and Rania Magadmi and Alqassem Y. Hakami and Areej Aljumaidi and Muhammad Ahmad and Noor Shaik and Khaled Yaghmour and Ahmed Esmat and Hala Mosli and Zoheir Damanhouri},
journal = {Medicine},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.1097/md.0000000000051295},
url = {https://europepmc.org/article/PMC/PMC13727209},
note = {CC BY-NC},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Effectiveness of metformin as initial treatment on the metabolic profile of Saudi patients newly diagnosed with type 2 diabetes mellitus : A prospective observational study
AU - Huda Alkreathy
AU - Fawaz Abdullah Alharbi
AU - Rania Magadmi
AU - Alqassem Y. Hakami
AU - Areej Aljumaidi
AU - Muhammad Ahmad
AU - Noor Shaik
AU - Khaled Yaghmour
AU - Ahmed Esmat
AU - Hala Mosli
AU - Zoheir Damanhouri
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/30
JO - Medicine
DO - 10.1097/md.0000000000051295
UR - https://europepmc.org/article/PMC/PMC13727209
AB - The incidence of diabetes is increasing in several countries, including Saudi Arabia. Metformin is a common treatment for type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM); however, its effect on the metabolic profile of patients newly diagnosed with T2DM remains unclear. To evaluate the effects of metformin on the metabolic profile, including hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) and lipid levels, in patients newly diagnosed with T2DM in Madinah, Saudi Arabia. This prospective observational study involved 82 participants newly diagnosed with T2DM. The participants were aged between 30 and 65 years, and their HbA1c level was ≥6.5% higher than the normal range. None of them had taken any oral hypoglycemic medication before metformin treatment. Fourteen patients did not undergo regular follow-ups. A total of 68 patients completed the study. The primary outcomes were changes in HbA1c, cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein (LDL), and hepatic enzyme marker levels. The HbA1c level significantly reduced after the 12-week treatment period (6.85% vs 7.29% at baseline, P = .001). Furthermore, 67.3% of the patients exhibited a noteworthy decrease in cholesterol (4.68 vs 5.18 mmol/L at baseline, P = .014) and LDL levels (3.03 vs 3.52 mmol/L at baseline, P = .006). However, no significant changes were observed in the levels of the other lipid profile markers. Various dosages of metformin showed comparable effects in reducing HbA1c, cholesterol, and LDL levels, but inconsistent effects on hepatic enzymes. The results suggest that metformin can be considered an initial treatment option for patients newly diagnosed with T2DM. These findings are significant given the increasing prevalence of diabetes in Saudi Arabia and the need for effective and safe treatment options. Further studies are required to explore the pharmacogenomics and metabolomics of metformin in this specific population.
SN - 0304-5412
SN - 1536-5964
SN - 0025-7974
ER -