Metformin for Knee Osteoarthritis in Patients With Overweight or Obesity: A Randomized Clinical Trial
Authors' conclusion
These results support use of metformin for treatment of symptomatic knee osteoarthritis in people with overweight or obesity.
Study context
- Population
- Symptomatic knee OA (knee pain ≥6 months, visual analog scale (VAS) pain >40 mm) with BMI ≥25, recruited from the community, Victoria, Australia88 completed
- Participants
- 107 participants
- Comparison
- Oral metformin 2000 mg/d vs identical placebo for 6 months
- Metforminn = 54
- Placebon = 53reference
- Primary endpoint
- Change in knee pain, 100-mm VAS (0-100; 100 = worst; MCID = 15)
- Follow-up
- 6 months
Methodological detailscommunity-based, parallel-group, double-blind, placebo-controlled, telemedicine recruitment and follow-up
- Community-based
- Parallel-group
- Double-blind
- Placebo-controlled
- Telemedicine recruitment and follow-up
Primary result
As reported in the abstract
Mean change in VAS knee pain
Metformin
−31.3
mean · mm
Placebo
−18.9
mean · mm
Between-group difference, mm (95% CI)P value
Metforminvs Placebo
−11.4(−20.1 to −2.6)
P = 0.01SMD (effect size) (95% CI)
Between Metformin and Placebo
0.43(0.02–0.83)
Safety
Diarrhoea (most common AE)
Abdominal discomfort (most common AE)
Original publication
Metformin for Knee Osteoarthritis in Patients With Overweight or Obesity: A Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA. Published 27 May 2025. doi:10.
Composed by AI from the published abstract and checked against it. How Briefs are made →