Researchers at Newcastle University believe the commonly prescribed Type 2 diabetes medication to lower their blood sugar levels, metformin, could be taken by Type 1 diabetic patients to slow the development or delay heart disease by  improving the ability to repair damaged blood and increasing vascular stem cells.

Metformin could routinely be used by patients with Type 1 diabetes to help lower their chances of developing heart disease, by increasing a repair mechanism created by vascular stem cells released from the bone marrow.

Heart disease is a leading cause of illness in diabetic patients, resulting in more than half of all fatalities, but findings from a clinical trial released in the journal of Cardiovascular Diabetology, indicate that metformin  appears to lower the risk of developing this complication amongst type 1 diabetics.

Dr Jolanta Weaver, Senior Lecturer in Diabetes Medicine at Newcastle University and Honorary Consultant Diabetologist at Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Gateshead,  believes the use of metformin is a breakthrough development in understanding how to improve treatment Type 1 diabetes.  “As the outcomes of heart disease is worse in diabetic versus non-diabetic patients, there is a need to identify additional treatment options. Metformin could routinely be used by patients with Type 1 diabetes to help lower their chances of developing heart disease, by increasing a repair mechanism created by vascular stem cells released from the bone marrow.”

She noted that the  research is an exciting step forward as it may have positive clinical implications for patients with increased risk of cardiovascular disease by improving their treatment options.“For the first time, this study has shown metformin has an additional benefit beyond improving diabetes control when given to patients with relatively well-controlled Type 1 diabetes. We have established the drug increases patients own vascular stem cells, which will help delay or slow down heart disease. Our findings also show that the cells associated with damaged blood vessels were reduced, confirming that the repair of blood vessels was taking place in our patients.”

Experts noted that the stem cells of type 1 diabetes who took metformin were able to promote the repair of the blood vessels and there was an improvement in how vascular stem cells worked. Also, patient’s insulin doses were reduced after taking metformin.