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Met-HeFT meta-analysisHeart FailureOpen Access
Metformin in heart failure and ischaemic heart disease: a meta-analysis
Key result
Metformin shows no cardiovascular benefit in patients with HFrEF or established IHD.
Why the trial?
Evidence for metformin's cardiovascular effects rests largely on observational studies and small trials. This meta-analysis pooled the randomised evidence in heart failure and ischaemic heart disease to test whether the drug's presumed cardiovascular benefit holds.
Does metformin improve cardiovascular outcomes in patients with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction and established ischaemic heart disease?
Population
Patients with HFrEF and established ischaemic heart disease (pooled N not reported)
Comparison
Metformin vs control across pooled studies
Design
Meta-analysis (number of pooled studies not reported)
Authors
Discussion
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Implication
The pooled analysis agrees with Met-HeFT: no significant cardiovascular benefit from metformin in HFrEF or established ischaemic heart disease.
Key Points
- To evaluate the efficacy and cardiovascular outcomes of metformin therapy in patients with heart failure and established ischaemic heart disease.
- Conducted a meta-analysis pooling studies evaluating metformin therapy in patients with heart failure and ischaemic heart disease.
- Assessed cardiovascular outcomes specifically within cohorts having heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) and established ischaemic heart disease.
- Showed no significant difference in cardiovascular outcomes with metformin treatment in patients with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction.
- Demonstrated no significant effect of metformin on clinical outcomes in patients with established ischaemic heart disease.
Evidence details
Limitations & tradeoffs
Statistical certainty
no pooled effect estimate, patient count or trial count is reported in the record.
Design limitations
record is derived from the ESC press release presented alongside Met-HeFT, with no publication captured in-world.
Structured PICO
Does metformin improve cardiovascular outcomes in patients with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction and established ischaemic heart disease?
P
Population
Patients with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction and established ischaemic heart disease
I
Intervention
Metformin
O
Outcome
Cardiovascular outcomes
A meta-analysis confirms that metformin does not significantly improve cardiovascular outcomes in patients with HFrEF or established ischaemic heart disease.
Cite This Study
Anders Hostrup Larsen (2026) conducted a meta-analysis in Heart failure and ischaemic heart disease. Metformin was evaluated on Cardiovascular outcomes. Metformin showed no significant difference in cardiovascular outcomes in patients with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction or established ischaemic heart disease.