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Metformin has been used to reduce weight in obese adolescents, although long-term success is uncertain. In this multicenter double-blind trial, researchers randomized 77 nondiabetic obese adolescents (age range, 13–18 years) to receive extended-release metformin (2000 mg) or placebo daily for 48 weeks after a 1-month placebo run-in period. Both groups had 10 weekly individual lifestyle and nutritional counseling sessions followed by monthly sessions.
At 1 year after enrollment, mean adjusted body-mass index (BMI) had decreased slightly but significantly (–0.9 kg/m2) in the treatment group compared with an increase (+0.2 kg/m2) in the placebo group (based on 27 patients who completed follow-up). This difference in BMI is equivalent to a 3-kg …