Medicine Baby Quiz | Does Metformin damage the kidneys?

Metformin is the first-line drug for controlling hyperglycemia in patients with type 2 diabetes and is also a basic drug in combined glucose-lowering therapy. The drug is mainly excreted in the urine in its original form, and about 90% is cleared 12 to 24 hours after taking the drug, which is relatively rapid. Therefore, the drug itself will not cause damage to the kidneys and is not a nephrotoxic drug. However, in patients with renal insufficiency, the renal clearance rate of metformin will decrease, causing the concentration of metformin in plasma to increase and the risk of lactic acidosis to increase. Therefore, patients with renal insufficiency need to adjust the dosage of the drug or stop using it according to their renal function.