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nobimbo · 01-10-2004, 08:31 AM

Doctors have been warned repeatedly to not prescribe Met to patients who have kidney or liver disease, because of the increased risk in those patients of lactic acidosis. The study at the beginning of this thread seems to show that Met can actually improve fatty liver disease. The results are preliminary and more research is needed. Here is blurb in another article about this study:

"Although these studies are preliminary, our data justify cautious evaluation of metformin as a treatment for fatty liver disease," says Diehl. "And although one of the side effects of this drug is lactic acidosis, a build up of lactic acid, which is more serious in people with liver disease, we found no evidence of toxicity in the mice we studied." The researchers next plan to test the drug in other animal models

http://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/press...UST/000829.HTM

There is no evidence that Metformin causes damage to the liver or kidneys. It does increase the risk of lactic acidosis if a patient has severe kidney disease. The liver helps to filter out lactic acid from the bloodstream, which is why it is suggested that the liver be functioning normally when taking Met. So it seems to me that if the kidneys are functioning normally, liver function is not as important a consideration. However, doctors are still being adivsed to use Met with caution in patients with liver disease because of this theoretical risk.

Linda