SynthesisBMC musculoskeletal disorders2023

The use of metformin, sulfonylurea compounds and insulin and the risk of hip fractures in diabetic patients: a systematic review and meta-analysis of observational studies.

Mansour Bahardoust, Mohsen Yarali, Ghazaleh Donyadideh, Elham Rahimi, Delaram Naderi, Farshid Monshizadeh Tehrani, Ali Delpisheh

Open access · goldFull text readMeta-AnalysisSystematic Review
In one paragraph

Synthesis in BMC musculoskeletal disorders, 2023. The graph read 2 numbers from its abstract, feeding 2 cells of the map, but none could be read as for or against, so it casts no vote. Cited by 12 papers.

2numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
12citing papers in PubMed
3.7field-weighted citation impact, top 6% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

Read, but not usablea number the graph found but could not read as for or against

Adverse events & safetycomparator not stated · t2dfeeds one cell of the map
HR 0.830.76 to 0.91
RESULTS: The results showed that metformin significantly reduced the risk of hip fracture (HR: 0.833, 95% CI: 0.759, 0.914, P:0.001).
Adverse events & safetycomparator not stated · t2dfeeds one cell of the map
HR 1.181.07 to 1.29
(HR: 1.175, 95% CI:1.068,1.293, P:0.001), The risk of hip fracture in patients receiving insulin was significantly higher than in diabetic patients who did not receive insulin.

clause the extractor read what became the number

2 · Its place on the map

Where it lands on the map

Rows are treatments, columns are outcomes. The coloured squares are the cells this paper feeds, coloured by the vote it casts there. Click one to jump to what this paper adds to it.

supports the treatmentfavours the comparatorno clear differenceread, but no usable result
3 · What it changes

What it adds to each cell

For every cell the paper feeds: the belief in the claim with and without this paper, and this paper's estimate drawn against every other readable study in the cell. The ringed dot is this paper.

Insulin×adverse events & safety

No readable resultOpen on the map →What to test next →

17 readable studies in this cell: 8 favour the treatment, 5 find no difference, 4 favour the comparator.

Belief with this paper
0.09contested · 1 family supports, 8 contradict · against placebo
Without itNot a counted family in this claim, so removing it changes nothing.
← favours the comparatorfavours the treatment →
0 · no effect
NCT036893742,274 enrolled · 2018
Δ -0.29-0.38 to -0.20
NCT013360231,663 enrolled · 2011
Treatment contrast -0.64-0.75 to -0.53
NCT032680051,264 enrolled · 2017
Δ -0.04-0.11 to 0.03
NCT009606611,036 enrolled · 2009
Δ -0.04-0.18 to 0.11
NCT01117350978 enrolled · 2010
Δ 2.54-3.88 to 8.93
NCT02607306819 enrolled · 2015
Treatment contrast -0.48-0.60 to -0.37
NCT01075282810 enrolled · 2010
Δ -0.45-0.60 to -0.29
NCT01648582774 enrolled · 2012
Δ -0.57-0.74 to -0.40
NCT05259033683 enrolled · 2022
Δ -0.44-0.56 to -0.33
NCT01123980521 enrolled · 2010
Δ -0.12-0.25 to 0.02
NCT02787551514 enrolled · 2016
Δ -0.64-0.77 to -0.51
NCT01676116438 enrolled · 2012
Treatment contrast -0.94-1.11 to -0.78

This paper's own estimate is on a different scale from the rest of the cell, so it is not drawn here.

Metformin×adverse events & safety

No readable resultOpen on the map →What to test next →

22 readable studies in this cell: 9 favour the treatment, 8 find no difference, 5 favour the comparator.

Belief with this paper
0.27contested · 4 families support, 11 contradict · against placebo
Without itNot a counted family in this claim, so removing it changes nothing.
← favours the treatmentfavours the comparator →
0 · no effect
NCT017190031,413 enrolled · 2012
Adjusted mean -0.72-0.95 to -0.48
NCT018093271,186 enrolled · 2013
Δ -0.40-0.59 to -0.21
NCT022730501,136 enrolled · 2014
Δ -8.90-13.3 to -4.50
NCT01126580807 enrolled · 2010
Δ -0.22-0.36 to -0.08
NCT01023581784 enrolled · 2009
Δ -0.67-0.96 to -0.37
NCT00386100688 enrolled · 2006
Δ 1.47-14.8 to 20.8
NCT01217073685 enrolled · 2010
Δ 1.00-9.80 to 13.1
NCT01890122647 enrolled · 2013
Δ -0.68-0.89 to -0.47
NCT00727857600 enrolled · 2007
Δ 0.860.51 to 1.22
NCT01958671461 enrolled · 2013
Δ -2.60-13.1 to 8.10
NCT00328172302 enrolled · 2006
Δ -0.85-1.10 to -0.59
NCT01485614200 enrolled · 2012
Δ 2.40-10.0 to 14.9

This paper's own estimate is on a different scale from the rest of the cell, so it is not drawn here.

4 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

5 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

12 citing papers in PubMed, 15 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Review
  2. Review
  3. Review
  4. Article
  5. Article
  6. Metformin and bone metabolism: unraveling their direct and indirect effects.Therapeutic advances in endocrinology and metabolism · 2025
    Review
  7. Osteoporosis in Adrenal Insufficiency: Could Metformin be Protective?Indian journal of clinical biochemistry : IJCB · 2025
    Review
  8. Article
  9. Article
  10. Review
  11. Review
  12. Review
6 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

7 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

7 authors at 5 institutions in 2 countries.

Mansour BahardoustDepartment of Epidemiology, School of Public Health and Safety, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
Mohsen YaraliSchool of Medicine, Kashan University of Medical Sciences, Kashan, Iran.
Ghazaleh DonyadidehSchool of Medicine, Mashad University of Medical Sciences, Mashad, Iran.
Elham RahimiDepartment of Epidemiology, School of Public Health and Safety, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
Delaram NaderiSchool of Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
Farshid Monshizadeh TehraniPsychiatric Center Ballerup, Copenhagen University Hospital, Copenhagen, Denmark.
Ali DelpishehDepartment of Epidemiology, School of Public Health and Safety, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. alidelpisheh@yahoo.com.
Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences · IRCopenhagen University Hospital · DKIran University of Medical Sciences · IRKashan University of Medical Sciences · IRMashhad University of Medical Sciences · IR

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

8 · The paper itself

Abstract

The marked sentences are the ones the graph read a number from.

backgroundHip fracture is a major health problem that occurs more often in the elderly, especially in diabetic patients. Some studies have been conducted regarding the effect of anti- diabetic drugs on fractures. But so far, no meta-analysis study has been conducted to investigate the effect of diabetic drugs on hip fractures. Therefore, this study investigated the relationship between anti-diabetic drugs (Metformin, Sulfonylurea, and insulin) with hip fractures.

methodsIn this systematic review and meta analysis study, PubMed, Scopus, Google Scholar, and Web of Science databases were searched with specific keywords to find relevant studies. Two researchers included related studies after screening based on the title and full text. Cochran's Q and I2 tests were used to assess heterogeneity between studies. Publication bias between studies was evaluated for each drug using Egger's test. A 95% confidence interval was used for effect size significance. Overall, 49 studies, including 6,631,297 participants, were reviewed.

resultsThe results showed that metformin significantly reduced the risk of hip fracture (HR: 0.833, 95% CI: 0.759, 0.914, P:0.001). Consumption of sulfonylurea compounds was significantly associated with an increased risk of hip fracture. (HR: 1.175, 95% CI:1.068,1.293, P:0.001), The risk of hip fracture in patients receiving insulin was significantly higher than in diabetic patients who did not receive insulin. (HR:1.366, 95% CI:1.226,1.522, P:0.001).

conclusionThe results of this study showed that taking metformin reduces the risk of hip fracture, and insulin and Sulfonylurea increase the risk of hip fracture.

Indexed as

Diabetes MellitusHip FracturesMetforminAgedDatabases, FactualHumansInsulinSulfonylurea CompoundsInsulinMetforminSulfonylurea CompoundsAnti-diabetic drugsFractureHip fractureInsulinMetforminSulfonylurea

Identifiers

PMID37161384
PMCPMC10170842
OpenAlexW4376115844

What Socratic holds

Textfull text, public
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.