The effect of metformin on urate metabolism: Findings from observational and Mendelian randomization analyses
Authors' conclusion
The effect of metformin may reduce urate levels but not incident gout in the general population.
Study context
- Population
- Patients with T2D in UK Biobank; genetic summary-level data from CKDGen and FinnGenT2D, UK Biobank · CKDGen 288,649
- Participants
- 18,776 patients
- Exposure
- Metformin use vs no metformin use
- Outcome
- Urate levels, risk of hyperuricaemia and incident gout
Methodological detailsUK Biobank, two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR), two-step MR, non-linear MR
- UK Biobank
- Two-sample MR
- Two-step MR
- Non-linear MR
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
Urate, hyperuricaemia and gout with metformin use (observational)
Urate with metformin use: β
−4.3 μmol/L
95% CI −7.0, −1.7p = .001
Hyperuricaemia risk with metformin use: OR
0.87
95% CI 0.79, 0.96p = .004
Observational data: associations, not effects.
Further findings
Urate per genetically proxied HbA1c-lowering effect of metformin targets (equivalent to 0.62% HbA1c reduction), MR
- β
- −12.5 μmol/L (95% CI −21.4, −4.2; p = .004)
- Proportion mediated by BMI (p = .002)
- 33.0%
- Non-linear MR: linear trend of urate reduction across HbA1c levels
Original publication
The effect of metformin on urate metabolism: Findings from observational and Mendelian randomization analyses. Diabetes Obes Metab. Published 9 October 2023. doi:10.
Composed by AI from the published abstract and checked against it. How Briefs are made →