Impact of metformin on the risk of osteoarthritis in patients with type 2 diabetes: a real-world study
Main finding · Incident OAResult — go to the resultAdjusted hazard ratio 0.95 95% CI 0.92–0.96Authors' conclusion
In this large real-world T2DM cohort, metformin use associated with modestly reduced OA incidence but unchanged TKR risk. These findings support preclinical and clinical evidence for metformin's potential protective role against OA development.
Study context
- Population
- Patients with T2D in a large healthcare database, January 2015–December 2021
- Participants
- 362,091 patients
- Exposure
- Metformin use vs non-use
- Metformin usersn = 244,562
- Non-usersn = 117,529reference
- Outcome
- OA development and TKR risk
Methodological detailselectronic health records, multivariable-adjusted Cox models, propensity score matching, competing risk models
- Electronic health records
- Multivariable-adjusted Cox models
- Propensity score matching
- Competing risk models
Main finding
Incident OA
Adjusted hazard ratio
0.95
95% CI 0.92–0.96
P < 0.001
Metformin usersvs Non-users
aHR 0.95 (95% CI 0.92–0.96); P < 0.001
As reported in the abstract
- Incident osteoarthritis (OA) cases (all patients)
- 28,724
Observational data: associations, not effects.
Further findings
| Outcome | aHR (95% CI) | P value | |
|---|---|---|---|
| TKR | 1.05 (0.94–1.18) | P = 0.352 | |
| 0.512Adjusted hazard ratio (log scale) |
- Total knee replacement (TKR) — TKR procedures (all patients)
- 1,593
Original publication
Impact of metformin on the risk of osteoarthritis in patients with type 2 diabetes: a real-world study. Diabetes Res Clin Pract. Published 24 February 2026. doi:10.
Composed by AI from the published abstract and checked against it. How Briefs are made →