What is "taking guanidine tablets to lose weight"? Can you really lose weight?
What is this "guanidine"?
This "guanidine" is metformin. It is the most commonly used prescription drug to treat type 2 diabetes, which can reduce the production of liver sugar, inhibit the intestinal absorption of glucose, increase the uptake and utilization of glucose by peripheral tissues and improve the sensitivity of insulin.
In recent years, metformin has been found to play a beneficial role in cardiovascular protection, anti-tumor, treatment of polycystic ovary syndrome, improvement of intestinal flora and anti-aging, but the specific mechanism is still unclear. At the end of 20 19, the top international academic journal nature published a research paper entitled "GDF 15 mediates the effect of metformin on weight and energy balance". It is confirmed for the first time that the distal small intestine and colon are the main sites of the expression of growth differentiation factor 15(GDF 15) induced by metformin, which can improve the circulation level of GDF 15, while GDF 15 can reduce food intake and body weight through brain stem restricted receptors. It is because of this research result that some people think that metformin can be used to lose weight.
What is the weight loss effect of this "guanidine"?
According to the research paper Nature, compared with the placebo group, patients with non-diabetic cardiovascular diseases can lose about 3.5% of their weight after receiving metformin 18 months, and the circulation level of GDF 15 continues to increase. Therefore, it is inferred that metformin relies on GDF 15 to suppress appetite, lose weight and improve insulin resistance.
However, the key points are drawn-first of all, these clinical trials are carried out in specific populations, and the subjects are mostly really obese and insulin tolerant people, not normal weight people; Secondly, from the results of "18 months weight loss of about 3.5%", the weight loss effect of metformin is moderate and limited.
This guanidine has side effects!
The most common adverse reactions of metformin are nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain and loss of appetite. It has also been reported that taking metformin can cause occasional metabolic and nutritional disorders, lactic acidosis and so on. If you take metformin for a long time, the absorption of vitamin B 12 may decrease, and even megaloblastic anemia may occur.
It should be emphasized that only truly obese patients need to take medicine to lose weight under the guidance of doctors, and people with normal weight should also use drugs carefully to lose weight.
The "Guidelines for Primary Diagnosis and Treatment of Obesity" issued by Chinese Medical Association on 20 19 pointed out that body mass index (BMI), one of the diagnostic criteria of obesity, is a simple index commonly used in clinic at present. Only when the body mass index is 28 years old or the body mass index is 24 years old, obesity complications are suggested.
Body mass index (kg/m2) = weight/height 2
Table 1 diagnostic criteria of body mass index obesity
Compared with the above table, many girls who want to "lose weight" are actually "normal weight", which simply does not meet the conditions for drug weight loss!
Metformin is currently only suitable for obese patients with insulin resistance. Healthy non-obese people should think twice before taking metformin and other drugs to lose weight. Reasonable diet and more exercise to maintain normal weight is the true meaning of health!