Metformin to Improve Walking Performance in Lower Extremity Peripheral Artery Disease

In people with lower extremity peripheral artery disease (PAD) who do not have diabetes, does metformin improve walking ability compared with placebo?In this double-blind randomized clinical trial of 202 participants with PAD and without diabetes randomized to metformin or placebo for 6 months, change in 6-minute walk distance at 6-month follow-up was not significantly different between participants randomized to metformin and those randomized to placebo (metformin: −5.4 m; placebo: −5.3 m).These results do not support metformin for improving walking performance in people with PAD.

Corresponding Author: Mary M. McDermott, MD, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, 750 N Rubloff, Tenth Floor, Chicago, IL 60611 (mdm608@northwestern.edu).

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