Protection by metformin against severe Covid-19: An in-depth mechanistic analysis.
Diabetes Metab
; 48(4): 101359, 2022 07.
Article
in English
| MEDLINE | ID: covidwho-1867036
ABSTRACT
Since the outbreak of Covid-19, several observational studies on diabetes and Covid-19 have reported a favourable association between metformin and Covid-19-related outcomes in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). This is not surprising since metformin affects many of the pathophysiological mechanisms implicated in SARS-CoV-2 immune response, systemic spread and sequelae. A comparison of the multifactorial pathophysiological mechanisms of Covid-19 progression with metformin's well-known pleiotropic properties suggests that the treatment of patients with this drug might be particularly beneficial. Indeed, metformin could alleviate the cytokine storm, diminish virus entry into cells, protect against microvascular damage as well as prevent secondary fibrosis. Although our in-depth analysis covers many potential metformin mechanisms of action, we want to highlight more particularly its unique microcirculatory protective effects since worsening of Covid-19 disease clearly appears as largely due to severe defects in the structure and functioning of microvessels. Overall, these observations confirm that metformin is a unique, pleiotropic drug that targets many of Covid-19's pathophysiology processes in a diabetes-independent manner.
Keywords
Full text:
Available
Collection:
International databases
Database:
MEDLINE
Main subject:
Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2
/
COVID-19
/
Metformin
Type of study:
Observational study
/
Prognostic study
Topics:
Long Covid
Limits:
Humans
Language:
English
Journal:
Diabetes Metab
Journal subject:
Endocrinology
/
Metabolism
Year:
2022
Document Type:
Article
Affiliation country:
J.diabet.2022.101359
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