Abstract: Objective To explore the effects of metformin on ventricular remodeling in patients with primary hypertension and type 2 diabetes mellitus. Methods 162 patients with primary hypertension and type 2 diabetes mellitus treated in our hospital from May 2012 to April 2013 were selected. The patients were divided into test group (n=75) and control group (n=87) according to whether used metformin or not. Subgroup analyses of the patients in the test group were used with the time of taking metformin,the clinical and echocardiographic data of 162 patients were retrospectively analyzed to assess the effect of hypertension duration and duration of drug usage on ventricular remodeling in patients. Results After treatment, the LVMI, LVPWD and IVSD in the test group were significantly lower than those in the control group (P=0.002, 0.039, 0.008), metformin is an independent factor for LVMI and LVPWD (P=0.031, 0.043). The difference of LVMI level between taking metformin ≥12 months group and control group patients was statistically significant (P=0.038). Taking metformin time is the independent factor of LVMI (P=0.039), the LVMI of the patients with course of hypertension < 5 years and the IVSD、LVMI of the patients with course of hypertension ≥5 years in test group were significantly lower than the control group (P=0.032, 0.026, 0.023). Conclusion Metformin may attenuate left ventricular hypertrophy of patients with primary hypertension and type 2 diabetes mellitus, and then improve the ventricular remodeling. The improvement effect of the patients with longer course of hypertension and longer time of medication may be more significant.

Key words: hypertension combined with type 2 diabetes mellitus, metformin, myocardial hypertrophy, ventricular remodeling