La metformine revisitee : moins de restrictions et davantage d'indications.

While commercialized since over 60 years, metformin is still the first-line drug recommended for the management of type 2 diabetes and is thus today the first glucose-lowering agent used worldwide. Despite this long experience, metformin retains its mysteries, especially regarding the underlying mechanisms responsible for its antidiabetic activity and other potential beneficial effects. During the last years, some contra-indications of metformin use have been at least partially withdrawn while new indications have been recognized. Furthermore, interesting prospects have been reported in important, although unexpected, medical areas such as cancer and neurodegenerative diseases. However, promising results in animal studies and observational human studies have now to be confirmed in well conducted randomized controlled trials.