Metformin + Statin = Repair Muscle? Front Physiol . 2022 Apr

[Jonas]

Metformin + Statin = repair muscle? NCT02308228
Metformin alone: reduced muscle growth in older adults during resistance training.
Statins: potentially reversed metformin’s negative effect and boosted muscle growth.
Mechanism: Increased M2-like macrophages (tissue repair cells) associated with combined use.
Significance: could prevent muscle loss in older adults taking both medications.

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35492586/

[Virilius]

Why not statins and acarbose?

[desertshores]

Because they are so different, it is unlikely that acarbose would have the same effect combined with metformin.
Because metformin was tested with a statin, not acarbose.
I am not saying that there is no possibility that Arcbose + a statin would not have a similar effect, I just think it is unlikely.

[desertshores]

Great find. It is a game changer for me and will now dose my statin and metformin accordingly.

[J0hn]

Very interesting….I take it, it’s addressing sarcopenia, since I see no mention of rhabdomyolysis in the article and it is talking about older people and exercise.

Just did a quick google and metformin co-treatment may also ameliorate statin induced rhabdomyolysis

Impact of metformin on statin‐associated myopathy risks in dyslipidemia patients

So a double-win for metformin/statin ?

[Jonas]

People with metabolic issues often take both statins (cholesterol) and metformin (diabetes).
• Prior concerns existed about increased muscle damage risk with this combo.
• A large Korean study examined myopathy risk in the statins + metformin group (4,092 patients) the statins-only group (8,161 patients)
• Metformin + statins reduced myopathy risk compared to statins alone.
• This protective effect is held for different statins and patient factors.
• Conclusion: Adding metformin to statin therapy for high cholesterol may decrease muscle damage risk, suggesting it protects against potential statin-related issues.
Details: the study found that taking metformin with statins reduced the risk of myopathy by 16% compared to taking statins alone. This is calculated from the adjusted hazard ratio of 0.84 provided in the summary.

Here’s the breakdown:

• Statin + metformin group: adjusted HR = 0.84
• Statin-only group: adjusted HR = 1.00 (baseline)
• Risk reduction = (1.00 - 0.84) x 100% = 0.16 x 100% = 16%

Therefore, adding metformin to statin therapy was associated with a 16% reduction in the risk of developing muscle damage (myopathy) in patients with dyslipidemia.
Pharmacol Res Perspect v.11(4); 2023 Aug Impact of metformin on statin‐associated myopathy risks in dyslipidemia patients - PMC
Myopathy risk is the likelihood of developing muscle damage

[Joseph_Lavelle]

This is shocking information. I’m struggling to settle on whether to return to more metformin use. My personal experience when taking metformin (500mg SR) with rosuvastatin (while taking rapa 1x/wk) was lingering muscle tiredness while I did my 3X/wk weight training. When I quit the rapa for a break (I thought rapa was the cause), the issue did not resolve until I stopped metformin. Now I only take metformin 3 days around my rapa dose. I feel great and am getting stronger in the gym. I think I’ll stick with what’s working. I’ve also recently added GG which has made my cardio workouts better (I feel stronger on the bike).

[Jonas]

@Joseph_Lavelle

I’ve also recently added GG which has made my cardio workouts better (I feel stronger on the bike).

what is GG? Everyone’s chemistry is different so the findings do not apply universally.

[Joseph_Lavelle]

Which supplements do you think are still worth taking?

Interesting new supplement I came across: Geranylgeraniol Geranylgeraniol (GGOH) is found in edible oils such as olive, linseed, and sunflower oils. It is also available as a supplement. Especially important to me is its anti-sarcopenia properties and anti-inflammation properties. It also may be of special interest to statin takers as it ameliorates the negative effects of statins. Of course “The MISSING Piece of the Anti-Aging Puzzle?? A Molecule Essential For Muscle, Hormone And More!!” [The MISSING Piece of the Anti-Aging Puzzle?? A Molecule Essential For Muscle, Hormone And More!!]

Here are details that @desertshores shared. I am trying it with good results based on only “feelings”

[Bettywhitetest]

I think it pertinent to also consider that the combination did not impact strength. Only hypertrophy.

From the results section - “However, muscle fiber size did not relate to strength gains, suggesting the medications may affect muscle quality.”

At an older age, I am thinking maintaining mitochondrial and muscle “quality” could be compromised by statins or metformin or the combination.

[Virilius]

@Bettywhitetest

At an older age, I am thinking maintaining mitochondrial and muscle “quality” could be compromised by statins or metformin or the combination.

You might want to consider supplementing with ubiquinol and PQQ if you take a statin.

[medaura]

Another note to statin takers is the need for co-supplementing with CoQ10 as statins deplete its levels which has implications for mitochondrial health and probably accounts for some of the muscle soreness.

Metformin needs mega doses of Vit B12 as it impairs its absorption.

[RapaSheep]

Never ending surprises. Aware of the Metformin protein synthesis theory, as someone who recently went on statins, this could be a plus. More so if the combination changing the macrophage phenotype to M2, turns out to be the correct one to regress plaque. Could I be so lucky