For a newly diagnosed diabetic, metformin is often the first oral therapy prescribed. Common brand names for metformin, which is also sold as a generic drug include: Glucophage, Riomet, Fortamet, Glumetza, Obimet, Dianben, Diabex, Diaformin. The active ingredient in all of these is metformin hydrochloride (hcl). Preferred by many doctors for its relatively gentle side effects, another appeal of the medication is its price. Metformin costs less than other forms of medications with an average cost of $0.35 per pill. Additionally, metformin has been found to be a good therapy for over weight and obese diabetes patients.

The Obese Diabetic – Metformin Therapy

In an efficacy test conducted in 1995, metformin was given to moderately obese type 2 diabetes patients over 29 weeks who were unable to control their blood glucose levels with diet and exercise alone or in combination with glyburide. Researchers measured plasma glucose, lactate, lipids, …