Cheap drug could cut heart disease in diabetics, Scottish trial finds

A cheap and versatile drug could cut the risk of heart disease in diabetics, according to a new global study.

The Removal trial, led in Scotland, found metformin could improve cardiovascular and metabolic outcomes in adults with longstanding type 1 diabetes.

Heart disease is the most common cause attributed to cutting life expectancy for people with the condition.

Professor John Petrie, from the University of Glasgow’s Institute of Cardiovascular and Medical Sciences, said: “The results from this trial 0 Prof John Petrie welcomed the results of the latest trial are significant because currently cardiovascular disease is a major cause of reduced life expectancy in type 1 diabetes, and cardiovascular disease rates are more than double those of the background population.

“Type 1 diabetes is not caused by lifestyle issues. Insulin therapy is required to control glucose and reduce complications but can cause weight gain which in turn is associated with high cholesterol.

“This may be one of the reasons that cardiovascular complications remain such a problem for people with type 1 diabetes.”

Metformin, already used to treat type 2 diabetes, is currently recommended for those with the condition to reduce insulin intake and stabilise weight, but its effects on the heart and blood vessels have been unknown.