bottle of metformin and carolyn bramante

KL2 scholar finds association between diabetes medication and less severe cases of COVID-19

Published in PLOS ONE, a study led by the University of Minnesota Medical School studied adults with type 2 diabetes who were taking metformin, a commonly prescribed diabetes medication. Researchers found an association with less severe cases of COVID-19 for those prescribed metformin. 

"This study continues to provide justification for further research on metformin for COVID-19. We're fortunate to have biostatisticians and informatics experts in our Clinical and Translational Science Institute who are exceptional in observational analyses," said Carolyn Bramante, MD, MPH. Dr. Bramante is a scholar in CTSI’s KL2 Scholars Career Development Program, an assistant professor at the University of Minnesota Medical School, and an internist and pediatrician with M Health Fairview. 

These findings add to the growing body of data that suggests metformin reduces the severity of COVID-19, including a trial led by Dr. Bramante that showed metformin lowers the odds of emergency department visits, hospitalizations or death due to COVID-19.

Funding of the National COVID Cohort Collaborative (N3C) national database is from the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences at the National Institutes of Health.

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