DiabetesDiabetes mellitus, SugarDiabetes is a condition in which blood glucose stays too high, either because the body makes too little insulin or because it has stopped responding to it. Pakistan has one of the highest rates in the world, and a large share of people with it do not yet know.
Metformin
Also known as Glucophage
The usual first tablet for type 2 diabetes. It lowers the sugar the liver releases and helps the body respond to its own insulin.
Metformin has been in use for decades, is inexpensive, does not cause weight gain, and on its own essentially does not cause — which is why it remains first choice worldwide.
Side effects worth knowing
- Nausea, loose motions and abdominal discomfort, especially in the first weeks
- A metallic taste
- Reduced vitamin B12 absorption with long-term use, occasionally needing supplementation
Related terms
- HbA1cGlycated haemoglobin, A1cHbA1c measures the proportion of haemoglobin that has sugar stuck to it, which reflects the average blood glucose over roughly the past three months. It needs no fasting and is used both to diagnose diabetes and to judge how well it is controlled.
- SulfonylureaGliclazide, GlimepirideA group of diabetes tablets that push the pancreas to release more insulin. Effective and cheap, but they can cause low blood sugar.
- Side effectAdverse effect, Adverse drug reactionA side effect is any effect of a medicine other than the one it was given for. Some are trivial and settle, some are the reason a medicine has to be stopped.