← Metformin × adverse events & safety

SynthesisThe Indian journal of medical research2025

Metformin use & asthma outcomes in patients with concurrent diabetes & bronchial asthma: A systematic review & meta-analysis.

A B M Kamrul-Hasan et al.PubMed ↗Full text ↗Publisher ↗

  • Metformin users (MU)looks good hereNo clear link with asthma-related emergency room visits, no clear link with use of rescue steroids, fewer asthma exacerbation.Correlation only, not a test of it.

What the trial testedas reported · 317,905 people · 2025

Range includes no effect

No clear effect on adverse events & safety

−24%−46% to +7%

Bigger than 6 in 10 for adverse events & safety

As reported

HR 0.76, 95% CI 0.54–1.07

What moved togetherboth groups pooled, not the treatment’s effect

Correlation · may be no link

No clear link with asthma-related emergency room visits

−37%−61% to +1%

metformin users (MU) vs non-metformin users (non-MU)

Bigger than 7 in 10 on the map

As reported

HR 0.63, 95% CI 0.39–1.01

Correlation · may be no link

No clear link with use of rescue steroids

−5%−13% to +3%

metformin users (MU) vs non-metformin users (non-MU)

Bigger than 2 in 10 for adverse events & safety

As reported

HR 0.95, 95% CI 0.87–1.03

Correlation, not cause

Metformin users (MU) went with fewer asthma exacerbation

−11%−17% to −3%

metformin users (MU) vs non-metformin users (non-MU), in after excluding a study from Taiwan (n=115486)

Bigger than 4 in 10 for adverse events & safety

As reported

HR 0.89, 95% CI 0.83–0.97

+1 more in the walkthrough ↓

Who was studied, and how

317,905people with type 2 diabetes, in this paper

Already taking metformin users (MU), or nottheir own situation, not assigned

on metformin users (MU)
not on metformin users (non-MU)

No clear link with asthma-related emergency room visits−37%

No clear link with use of rescue steroids−5%

Metformin users (MU) went with fewer asthma exacerbation−11%

correlation, not a test

the abstract, start to end

… not gain statistical significance (HR 0.63, 95% CI: 0.39, 1.01, P=0.06).

… of asthma-related hospitalisations (HR 0.76, 95% CI: 0.54, 1.07, P=0.12) and use of rescue steroids (HR 0.95, 95% CI: 0.87, 1.03, P=0.24).

… lower risk of asthma exacerbation (HR 0.89, 95% CI: 0.83-0.97, P=0.005) and asthma-related hospitalisations (HR 0.68, 95% CI: 0.49-0.93, P=0.02) was …

← favours treatmentfavours comparator →
could be chance
Asthma-related emergency room visitsmetformin users (MU) vs non-metformin users (non-MU)
HR 0.630.39–1.01
Adverse events & safety
HR 0.760.54–1.07
Use of rescue steroidsmetformin users (MU) vs non-metformin users (non-MU)
HR 0.950.87–1.03
Asthma exacerbationmetformin users (MU) vs non-metformin users (non-MU), in after excluding a study from Taiwan (n=115486)
HR 0.890.83–0.97
Asthma-related hospitalisationsmetformin users (MU) vs non-metformin users (non-MU), in after excluding a study from Taiwan (n=115486)
HR 0.680.49–0.93
MetforminAdverse events & safetyCosts & health-care use
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1 paper cites it

2025
2026
this papercites it
Full record →Abstract, authors, funding and every citing paper · PMID 41100655