Attia: Newsletter on Recent Metformin Research
 

Interesting that as people are first diagnosed with T2 or pre-T2, many are prescribed metformin to initially control blood sugar. It has been considered safe and there are many articles touting its health promoting benefits. That being said, I am one who is suspicious of any prescription that is written for control of a "disease for life," particularly a drug that is characterized as "beneficial." I've had too many acquaintances who have started on metformin, gradually increased the dosage, and ultimately progressed to requiring insulin as they traversed the downward spiral.

Peter Attia's recent newsletter has some interesting findings about metformin and exercise (resistance training (RT)), and surprisingly, metformin has been shown to diminish or blunt the effects of RT compared to RT for control without metformin. This got my attention, as there are pills handed out like candy in a shotgun fashion with the thought that they can't do any harm and may be beneficial. Dangerous assumption here with the most recent findings:



Here's the full article:

https://peterattiamd.com/191013/

As an aside, I wonder how this blunting works with those who are also taking statins? The combination is very common.

So many people take Metformin that it's important to know what types of effects it can have on developing muscles.

So this applies to developing more muscles but isn't causing muscle wasting, right?

The only thing I can state here, Meme, is that if metformin improved muscle hypertrophy, one could assume that it is protective against muscle wasting. That wasn't the case, but I don't see in the study where they measured anything other than resistance training and the role of metformin. Since it blunted muscle growth or that the muscle growth in those doing RT was less than those doing RT without metformin, one cannot accurately state metformin's role in muscle wasting. That would have to be another study.

I thought Attia agreed with the mass prescription of statins for cholesterol. I'm happy with not taking any pills.

My comment on statins was simply me musing about what a rigorous, well designed study would show for those taking a combination of a statin and metformin. The study cited had nothing to do with statins.

My personal opinion regarding statins and cholesterol is in opposition to Attia's stance on statins and their cholesterol impacting properties. My reason is that since recent findings and history indicate that cholesterol is a weak indicator for CVD or CHD, I no longer care whether a drug with side effects lowers cholesterol including LDL. I strongly believe we're looking in the wrong places for valid cardiac and vascular health markers; therefore, any drugs designed to address these questionable indicators are also questionable and potentially dangerous for some.

Been digging into Ivor Cummins, and he has come to the same conclusions by studying the studies.
Based on his 2018 book, looks like he thinks keto is the key, not drugs.