A Study of Efficacy of Metformin in Rheumatoid Arthritis

Abstract

Background: The prevalence rate of Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is around 0.4 percent to 1.1 percent globally. In India we do not have a statistical record which can be trusted. But many studies have reported more than that of the global statistics. The treatment of Rheumatoid arthritis was mainly steroids and other anti-inflammatory substances which itself causes plethora of adverse effects. But it is also a known fact and in fact have been advocated in many studies that the treatment lines fail as the disease becomes resistant to continuous anti-inflammatory line of drugs over a period of time. The treatment of Rheumatoid arthritis has become good in the last decade after the introduction of disease modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (csDMARDs) in the treatment. Metformin drug has been shown to improve the quality of life after one year of the treatment. This calls for further studies. This study was designed to evaluate the potential benefits of metformin use as an adjuvant therapy in RA arthritis patients with moderate and high disease activity and its effect on serum C-Reactive Protein. Aims and Objectives: To determine the Efficacy of Metformin in Rheumatoid Arthritis. Materials and Methods: This study was done in the Department of General Medicine, Kanachur Institute of Medical Sciences, Mangalore. The study was done in thirty subjects who are proven cases of Rheumatoid arthritis. The study was done from Nov 2019 to Oct 2020. Results & Conclusion: Use of metformin in Rheumatoid Arthritis as an adjuvant is highly advisable in the practice.