Diabetes medicine helps to treat infertility – 2024-02-08 17:10:58

Scientists have analyzed how the diabetes drug metformin affects the reproductive system. They have found that it promotes the regeneration of ovaries and testicles in patients with hormonal problems and infertility. In the future, it will help to increase the effectiveness of the treatment of diseases of the reproductive system. The article was published in Pharmaceuticals (Basel). This research was supported by a grant from the Presidential Program of the Russian Science Foundation (RSF).

Today, metformin is a well-studied drug for type 2 diabetes and metabolic syndrome. These diseases are associated with hormonal and metabolic disorders. Today, 5% of the population in Russia has type 2 diabetes, and every fifth person suffers from metabolic syndrome.

In a healthy person, insulin helps cells capture glucose, the main source of energy. In diabetes and metabolic disorder syndrome, tissues recognize insulin poorly and do not allow glucose to enter the cell. High blood sugar impairs vascular function, leads to kidney failure, causes inflammation and appears to impair the reproductive system. Metformin increases tissue sensitivity to insulin, lowers “bad” cholesterol levels, and promotes weight loss. Scientists of the Institute of Evolutionary Physiology and Biochemistry named after I. M. Sechenov RAS (St. Petersburg) conducted a study analyzing the effect of this drug on the reproductive system of men and women. Based on this, they published a comprehensive review in which they summarized the studies of leading foreign scientists and presented their own results.

Clinical studies have confirmed that metformin not only improves the functioning of the reproductive system in both sexes, but also has a beneficial effect on the health of newborns.