People suffering from chronic diseases diabetic foot ulcers A new treatment option may soon be available, leading to faster healing and fewer hospital visits. Insulin and oral Metformin Metformin is two common diabetes medications. Researchers at Michigan State University and South Shore Hospital have shown that taking the two drugs together increases the amount of metformin at the wound site.
Insulin and metformin in diabetic foot ulcer treatment
Metformin's ability to speed up wound healing could be good news 18.6 million people worldwide (1.6 million in the United States) suffer from a diabetic foot ulcer, or DFU, in their lifetime.
Papers published in ACS Pharmacology & Translational Science Explains a previously unknown relationship between insulin and metformin in diabetic foot ulcer (DFU) secretion(1 reliable source
Millions of people suffering from foot ulcers due to diabetes could benefit from new research
Researchers at Michigan State University and South Shore Hospital in Massachusetts have discovered a link between two popular diabetes medications, insulin and metformin, found in the wound secretions of diabetic foot ulcers that may promote recovery.
diabetic foot ulcer exudate
When researchers examined wound exudates (the fluid that drains from the site of an injury), they identified metformin in individuals who took the drug orally, which no one had ever mentioned.
The researchers found that people using both insulin injections and oral metformin had a significant increase in the amount of metformin in the lesions. Previously, researchers believed that insulin and metformin did not interact.
Advertisement
Pharmacological research has not yet revealed any interactions between insulin and metformin. Study results suggest that taking both insulin and metformin may play a role, albeit a small one, in helping metformin reach the part of the body that is injured and improve healing.
These findings may influence how physicians approach treatment of persistent wounds. For example, the combined effect of metformin and insulin may be beneficial if a patient has a wound.
Advertisement
Wound dressing developers must also investigate how whatever they apply to the wound will react with secretions. Wound dressings have the potential to react with secretions Wound Dressings can become damaged, compromising both their safety and therapeutic effectiveness.
Reference:
- Millions of people suffering from diabetic foot ulcers could benefit from new research finding- (https:humanmedicine.msu.edu/news/2024-millions-of-people-with-diabetic-foot-ulcers-could-benefit-from-new-research-discovery.html)
Source- Eurekalert