Efficacy of Metformin as an Adjunct to Standard Antidepressant Therapy in Treating Depression Among Obese Patients

Summary

To evaluate the efficacy of metformin as an adjunct therapy in improving depressive symptoms and metabolic markers in newly diagnosed obese depressed patients on standard antidepressant therapy. investigator will compare between Two groups 1\. metformin group 2 placebo group Primary outcome measure will be the improvement in depressive symptoms, indicating by a reduction in Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAM-D) scores. Secondary outcome measures will include the assessment of oxidative stress markers, specifically by measuring the increase in enzymatic activity of superoxide dismutase, catalase, and glutathione peroxidase Investigators hypothesize that the addition of metformin to standard antidepressant treatment will result in a significant reduction in symptoms of depression among newly diagnosed obese individuals.

Timeline

Start

2025-10-01

Primary completion

2026-06

Completion

2026-12

Publications

• Results Guo M, Mi J, Jiang QM, Xu JM, Tang YY, Tian G, Wang B. Metformin may produce antidepressant effects through improvement of cognitive function among depressed patients with diabetes mellitus. Clin Exp Pharmacol Physiol. 2014 Sep;41(9):650-6. doi: 10.1111/1440-1681.12265.
• Results Farooq S, Khan T, Zaheer S, Shafique K. Prevalence of anxiety and depressive symptoms and their association with multimorbidity and demographic factors: a community-based, cross-sectional survey in Karachi, Pakistan. BMJ Open. 2019 Nov 19;9(11):e029315. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2019-029315.
• Results Heiskanen TH, Niskanen LK, Hintikka JJ, Koivumaa-Honkanen HT, Honkalampi KM, Haatainen KM, Viinamaki HT. Metabolic syndrome and depression: a cross-sectional analysis. J Clin Psychiatry. 2006 Sep;67(9):1422-7. doi: 10.4088/jcp.v67n0913.
• Results Lang UE, Beglinger C, Schweinfurth N, Walter M, Borgwardt S. Nutritional aspects of depression. Cell Physiol Biochem. 2015;37(3):1029-43. doi: 10.1159/000430229. Epub 2015 Sep 25.
• Results Luppino FS, de Wit LM, Bouvy PF, Stijnen T, Cuijpers P, Penninx BW, Zitman FG. Overweight, obesity, and depression: a systematic review and meta-analysis of longitudinal studies. Arch Gen Psychiatry. 2010 Mar;67(3):220-9. doi: 10.1001/archgenpsychiatry.2010.2.
• Results Lee A, Morley JE. Metformin decreases food consumption and induces weight loss in subjects with obesity with type II non-insulin-dependent diabetes. Obes Res. 1998 Jan;6(1):47-53. doi: 10.1002/j.1550-8528.1998.tb00314.x.
• Results Seifarth C, Schehler B, Schneider HJ. Effectiveness of metformin on weight loss in non-diabetic individuals with obesity. Exp Clin Endocrinol Diabetes. 2013 Jan;121(1):27-31. doi: 10.1055/s-0032-1327734. Epub 2012 Nov 12.
• Results AlHussain F, AlRuthia Y, Al-Mandeel H, Bellahwal A, Alharbi F, Almogbel Y, Awwad O, Dala'een R, Alharbi FA. Metformin Improves the Depression Symptoms of Women with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome in a Lifestyle Modification Program. Patient Prefer Adherence. 2020 Apr 15;14:737-746. doi: 10.2147/PPA.S244273. eCollection 2020.
• Results Calkin CV, Chengappa KNR, Cairns K, Cookey J, Gannon J, Alda M, O'Donovan C, Reardon C, Sanches M, Ruzickova M. Treating Insulin Resistance With Metformin as a Strategy to Improve Clinical Outcomes in Treatment-Resistant Bipolar Depression (the TRIO-BD Study): A Randomized, Quadruple-Masked, Placebo-Controlled Clinical Trial. J Clin Psychiatry. 2022 Feb 1;83(2):21m14022. doi: 10.4088/JCP.21m14022.
• Results Jitca G, Gall Z, Jitca CM, But MG, Majai E. Drug Repurposing of Metformin for the Treatment of Haloperidol-Related Behavior Disorders and Oxidative Stress: A Preliminary Study. Pharmaceutics. 2024 Mar 15;16(3):403. doi: 10.3390/pharmaceutics16030403.

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