There is national guidance advising that people who are at risk of developing diabetes (those with pre-diabetes) should be offered a medication known as metformin.
Metformin reduces your chance of developing diabetes by lowering blood sugar levels back into the normal range.
Metformin only works if you also make changes to your diet and exercise, because these two actions tackle the actual cause of the raised blood sugars.
You can read more about managing Pre-Diabetes on our webpage.
If you wish to start metformin, please reply back to the text message, and we will prescribe it for you.
If you are not interested, please continue, you do not need to contact the practice.
You can read more about metformin on the NHS website here.
You take one tablet with your evening meal for the first two weeks.
Then two tablets (at the same time) with your evening meal from then on.
After six months we will check your blood sugar levels and weight, to see how well the medication is helping.
We are aware that the leaflet within the metformin medication box advises caution in those aged over 75 years of age, however, this has been taken into account. And we are happy for you to consider starting the medication if you wish.
References:
https://patient.info/diabetes/pre-diabetes-impaired-glucose-tolerance#ndh-treatment
https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/PH38/chapter/Recommendations#metformin
DPP and DPPOS studies both demonstrate significantly reduced diabetes incidence in patients taking metformin.