Description
Metfor (Metformin) 500 mg
Metfor 500 mg contains metformin, an oral medicine used for type 2 diabetes. It is a biguanide antihyperglycaemic agent that helps improve blood glucose control. The product name supplied is treated here as an identification clue; the verified active ingredient is metformin.
Active Ingredient and Medicine Class
Active ingredient: metformin hydrochloride.
Medicine class: biguanide antihyperglycaemic medicine. Regulatory prescribing information identifies metformin tablets as an oral treatment for diabetes, and the 500 mg strength is a standard tablet strength.
Established Medical Uses
Metformin is indicated as an adjunct to diet and exercise to improve glycaemic control in adults and in pediatric patients 10 years of age and older with type 2 diabetes mellitus. It is not used for type 1 diabetes or diabetic ketoacidosis.
How It Works
Metformin lowers blood glucose mainly by reducing glucose production in the liver and improving insulin sensitivity in body tissues. Human and review data also support effects in the gut, including altered intestinal glucose handling and related signalling.
Important Safety Information
Metformin carries a boxed warning for lactic acidosis, a rare but serious reaction. Prescribing information lists key risk factors including severe renal impairment, older age, hepatic impairment, hypoxic states, excessive alcohol intake, surgery or contrast studies, and certain interacting medicines.
It is contraindicated in patients with severe renal impairment, acute or chronic metabolic acidosis including diabetic ketoacidosis, and hypersensitivity to metformin. Important interactions include carbonic anhydrase inhibitors, drugs that reduce metformin clearance such as cimetidine, ranolazine, vandetanib and dolutegravir, and excessive alcohol use. Metformin may also lower vitamin B12 levels and can contribute to hypoglycaemia when combined with insulin or insulin secretagogues.
Possible Side Effects
The most commonly reported adverse effects are diarrhoea, nausea or vomiting, flatulence, abdominal discomfort, indigestion, asthenia and headache. Serious reactions can include lactic acidosis, vitamin B12 deficiency, and hypoglycaemia when used with other glucose-lowering medicines.
Scientific Evidence
Clinical trial evidence in overweight people with type 2 diabetes showed that metformin improved diabetes-related outcomes compared with conventional therapy and was associated with less weight gain and fewer hypoglycaemic attacks than some older alternatives. Review articles continue to describe metformin as a foundational oral treatment for type 2 diabetes, although its full mechanism remains incompletely understood.
Medical Information Notice
This summary is for educational purposes only and is based on sources available at the time of review. It does not replace the official patient leaflet or assessment by a qualified healthcare professional.
Medical Sources
- U.S. FDA / DailyMed: Metformin Hydrochloride Tablets, prescribing information. PubMed / article page not applicable; official prescribing information
- UK Prospective Diabetes Study (UKPDS) Group: “Effect of intensive blood-glucose control with metformin on complications in overweight patients with type 2 diabetes (UKPDS 34).” Lancet, 1998. PubMed
