RT Journal Article
T1 Metformin for Obesity in Prepubertal and Pubertal Children: A Randomized Controlled Trial.
A1 Pastor-Villaescusa, Belen
A1 Cañete, M Dolores
A1 Caballero-Villarraso, Javier
A1 Hoyos, Raul
A1 Latorre, Miriam
A1 Vazquez-Cobela, Rocio
A1 Plaza-Diaz, Julio
A1 Maldonado, Jose
A1 Bueno, Gloria
A1 Leis, Rosaura
A1 Gil, Angel
A1 Cañete, Ramon
A1 Aguilera, Concepcion M
K1 Adolescent
K1 Biomarkers
K1 Body mass index
K1 Cardiovascular diseases
AB Metformin has shown its effectiveness in treating obesity in adults. However, little research has been conducted in children, with a lack of attention on pubertal status. The objectives were to determine whether oral metformin treatment reduces BMI z score, cardiovascular risk, and inflammation biomarkers in children who are obese depending on pubertal stage and sex. This was a randomized, prospective, double-blind, placebo-controlled, multicenter trial, stratified according to pubertal stage and sex, conducted at 4 Spanish clinical hospitals. Eighty prepubertal and 80 pubertal nondiabetic children who were obese aged 7 to 14 years with a BMI >95th percentiles were recruited. The intervention included 1 g/d of metformin versus placebo for 6 months. The primary outcome was a reduction in BMI z score. Secondary outcomes comprised insulin resistance, cardiovascular risk, and inflammation biomarkers. A total of 140 children completed the study (72 boys). Metformin decreased the BMI z score versus placebo in the prepubertal group (-0.8 and -0.6, respectively; difference, 0.2; P = .04). Significant increments were observed in prepubertal children treated with metformin versus placebo recipients in the quantitative insulin sensitivity check index (0.010 and -0.007; difference, 0.017; P = .01) and the adiponectin-leptin ratio (0.96 and 0.15; difference, 0.81; P = .01) and declines in interferon-γ (-5.6 and 0; difference, 5.6; P = .02) and total plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (-1.7 and 2.4; difference, 4.1; P = .04). No serious adverse effects were reported. “Metformin decreased the BMI z score and improved inflammatory and cardiovascular-related obesity parameters only in prepubertal children, but a differential effect of metformin was not observed in prepubertal compared to pubertal children. Nevertheless, the doses per kilogram of weight administrated may have had an impact on the metformin effect. Further investigations are necessary.”
PB American Academy of Pediatrics
YR 2017
FD 2017-03-21
LK http://hdl.handle.net/10668/11457
UL http://hdl.handle.net/10668/11457
LA en
NO Pastor-Villaescusa B, Cañete MD, Caballero-Villarraso J, Hoyos R, Latorre M, Vázquez-Cobela R, et al. Metformin for Obesity in Prepubertal and Pubertal Children: A Randomized Controlled Trial. Pediatrics. 2017 Jul;140(1):e20164285. doi: 10.1542/peds.2016-4285. Epub 2017 Jun 12. Erratum in: Pediatrics. 2017 Nov;140(5):e20172555
DS RISalud
RD Apr 17, 2025