A retrospective descriptive study of pain scores in the pre-diabetic patients on metformin

Abstract

Objectives: The purpose was to evaluate pain scores (SF-36 BPS) among pre-diabetic patients on metformin or placebo to determine if patients on metformin therapy report less pain (higher SF-36 BPS) than patients on placebo. Study design: A descriptive retrospective review of pain scores was conducted using secondary data analyses of the Diabetes Prevention Program (DPP) and Diabetes Prevention Program Outcomes Study (DPPOS) conducted from 1996 to 2008. Patients were randomly assigned to placebo, low (850 mg/day) or high dose (1700 mg/day) metformin groups. Pain scores using the SF-36 BPS standard version were taken before randomization and annually (year one through four). Results: Out of 3,819 patients that participated in the original study, 1,056 patients met the current study criteria. The metformin group included 506 patients and the placebo group included 550 patients. With an alpha level of 0.05 for all analyses, baseline pain scores between the metformin group and placebo group showed no significant difference. Year two showed significance between placebo and metformin pain scores (75.2 vs 78.6). All other years were not significant. Comparing low and high dose metformin and placebo groups, years one, two and three displayed significant differences in pain scores. In years one and two, the high dose metformin group reported less pain than the placebo group (80.7 vs 77.7; 80.1 vs 75.2) and the low dose metformin group (80.7 vs 71.8; 80.1 vs 68.6). In year three, the high dose metformin group had less pain than the low dose metformin group (78.4 vs 70.5).