Anti-Angiogenic miR-222, miR-195, and miR-21a Plasma Levels in T1DM Are Improved by Metformin Therapy, Thus Elucidating Its Cardioprotective Effect: The MERIT Study.

Type 1 diabetes (T1DM) is associated with increased cardiovascular disease (CVD) and reduced life expectancy. We thus hypothesized that anti-angiogenic miRs are increased in T1DM, and the cardioprotective effect of metformin is mediated via reducing those miRs. In an open label, case-controlled study, 23 T1DM patients without CVD were treated with metformin for eight weeks (TG), matched with nine T1DM patients on standard treatment (SG) and 23 controls (CG).