Abstract
Objectives: The study aims to compare the effects of metformin and antioxidant vitamins C and E on C-reactive protein (CRP) and oxidative/antioxidant status (represented by serum malondialehyde (MDA) and total antioxidant status (TAS) in newly diagnosed patients with Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) at baseline and after 3 months of therapy compared with the control group.
Patients and Methods: The study was performed in Al-Wafaa Center of Diabetes Management and Research in Mosul, Iraq. They included 91 type 2 diabetic patients and 50 healthy controls. The patients were divided into two groups: The first group (n = 44) was received metformin alone orally for duration of 3 months and the second group (n = 47) was received metformin with vitamin C and E orally for duration of 3 months also. Fasting blood samples were obtained from both controls and patients (before and after treatment) and assays were done for determination of serum MDA, TAS, and CRP.
Results: Compared with controls, patients serum levels of MDA, and CRP were significantly high and TAS were significantly lower. After 3 months of treatment, both patients groups reported significant reductions in serum levels of MDA, CRP and a significant increase in serum levels of TAS, compared with the pre-treatment levels. The present study found that there was a non significant difference in serum MDA levels between the two patients groups (p=0.026), whereas serum TAS levels was significantly higher and CRP was significantly lower in the second group as compared to the first group.
Conclusion: The present study concluded that three months oral consumption of combined antioxidant vitamins C and E with metformin in patients with T2DM showed significantly beneficial effect on oxidative stress and inflammatory response compared with metformin alone. The findings of this study necessitate investigating the overall clinical impact of antioxidant treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus to maintain good glycemic control.
