The diabetes drug metformin does not appear to promote birth defects Men taking metformin did not have an increased risk of offspring with birth defects, compared to those not taking the drug The findings run counter to an earlier study linking metformin to birth defects THURSDAY, Oct. 17, 2024 (HealthDay News) -- A new, reassuring study finds that men can take the drug metformin without worrying that their offspring will suffer from birth defects. Recent research raised concerns that metformin could promote birth defects in children by damaging the quality of a man’s sperm.
But this study of more than 3 million pregnancies, published Oct. 16 in the , concluded those fears are unfounded. The new study “found no significant association between paternal metformin use during the period of sperm development and congenital malformations in offspring,” concluded the research team led by senior researcher , a professor of pharmacy with the University of Oslo in Norway.
Metformin helps control blood sugar levels by decreasing the amount of glucose absorbed from food and made by the liver, according to the National Institutes of Health. A 2022 Danish study found a 40% increased risk of birth defects in the children of men taking metformin, researchers said. The drug is known to cause lower testosterone levels and potentially diminished sperm quality.
To further test this link, researchers analyzed data on nearly 620,000 babies born in Norway between 2010 and 2021 and more than 2.