Observational studyDiabetic medicine : a journal of the British Diabetic Association2016

Organic cation transporter 1 variants and gastrointestinal side effects of metformin in patients with Type 2 diabetes.

T Dujic, A Causevic, T Bego, M Malenica, Z Velija-Asimi, E R Pearson, S Semiz

Open access · hybridAbstract readObservational Study
In one paragraph

Observational study in Diabetic medicine : a journal of the British Diabetic Association, 2016. The graph read 1 number from its abstract, feeding 1 cell of the map, but none could be read as for or against, so it casts no vote. It also reports an association that does not count as treatment evidence, such as OR 2.31 (1.07 to 5.01) for adverse events & safety. Cited by 62 papers, 3 of them syntheses that pooled it.

1number the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
62citing papers in PubMed, 3 pooled it
4.9field-weighted citation impact, top 3% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

Read, but not usablea number the graph found but could not read as for or against

Adverse events & safetyan association or prognostic statement, not a treatment comparison · t2dfeeds one cell of the map
OR 2.311.07 to 5.01P = 0.034
Interestingly, the number of OCT1 reduced-function alleles was significantly associated with over two-fold higher odds of the common metformin-induced gastrointestinal side effects (odds ratio = 2.31, 95% confidence interval 1.07-5.01, P = 0.034).

clause the extractor read what became the number

2 · Its place on the map

Where it lands on the map

Rows are treatments, columns are outcomes. The coloured squares are the cells this paper feeds, coloured by the vote it casts there. Click one to jump to what this paper adds to it.

supports the treatmentfavours the comparatorno clear differenceread, but no usable result
3 · What it changes

What it adds to each cell

For every cell the paper feeds: the belief in the claim with and without this paper, and this paper's estimate drawn against every other readable study in the cell. The ringed dot is this paper.

Metformin×adverse events & safety

No readable resultOpen on the map →What to test next →

22 readable studies in this cell: 9 favour the treatment, 8 find no difference, 5 favour the comparator.

Belief with this paper
0.27contested · 4 families support, 11 contradict · against placebo
Without itNot a counted family in this claim, so removing it changes nothing.
← favours the treatmentfavours the comparator →
0 · no effect
NCT017190031,413 enrolled · 2012
Adjusted mean -0.72-0.95 to -0.48
NCT018093271,186 enrolled · 2013
Δ -0.40-0.59 to -0.21
NCT022730501,136 enrolled · 2014
Δ -8.90-13.3 to -4.50
NCT01126580807 enrolled · 2010
Δ -0.22-0.36 to -0.08
NCT01023581784 enrolled · 2009
Δ -0.67-0.96 to -0.37
NCT00386100688 enrolled · 2006
Δ 1.47-14.8 to 20.8
NCT01217073685 enrolled · 2010
Δ 1.00-9.80 to 13.1
NCT01890122647 enrolled · 2013
Δ -0.68-0.89 to -0.47
NCT00727857600 enrolled · 2007
Δ 0.860.51 to 1.22
NCT01958671461 enrolled · 2013
Δ -2.60-13.1 to 8.10
NCT00328172302 enrolled · 2006
Δ -0.85-1.10 to -0.59
NCT01485614200 enrolled · 2012
Δ 2.40-10.0 to 14.9

This paper's own estimate is on a different scale from the rest of the cell, so it is not drawn here.

4 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

5 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

62 citing papers in PubMed, 3 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 134 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Pooled it
  3. Pooled it
  4. Trial
  5. Trial
  6. Review
  7. Article
  8. Review
  9. Review
  10. Pharmacogenetics and Molecular Ancestry ofPharmaceuticals (Basel, Switzerland) · 2025
    Article
  11. Genetic Variants ofGenes · 2025
    Article
  12. Article
  13. Impact ofJournal of diabetes and metabolic disorders · 2024
    Article
  14. Impact ofBiomedical reports · 2024
    Article
  15. Article
  16. Article
  17. Article
  18. Article
  19. Article
  20. Article

2 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.

6 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

7 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

7 authors at 2 institutions in 2 countries.

T DujicDepartment of Biochemistry and Clinical Analysis, University of Sarajevo, Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina.
A CausevicDepartment of Biochemistry and Clinical Analysis, University of Sarajevo, Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina.
T BegoDepartment of Biochemistry and Clinical Analysis, University of Sarajevo, Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina.
M MalenicaDepartment of Biochemistry and Clinical Analysis, University of Sarajevo, Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Z Velija-AsimiClinic for Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism Diseases, University Clinical Centre of Sarajevo, Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina.
E R PearsonDivision of Cardiovascular & Diabetes Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Dundee, Dundee, UK.
S SemizDepartment of Biochemistry and Clinical Analysis, University of Sarajevo, Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina.
University of Sarajevo · BAUniversity of Dundee · GB

Funding

Wellcome Trust 102820Wellcome Trust 102820/Z/13/Z
8 · The paper itself

Abstract

The marked sentences are the ones the graph read a number from.

aimsMetformin is the most widely used oral anti-diabetes agent and has considerable benefits over other therapies, yet 20-30% of people develop gastrointestinal side effects, and 5% are unable to tolerate metformin due to the severity of these side effects. The mechanism for gastrointestinal side effects and their considerable inter-individual variability is unclear. We have recently shown the association between organic cation transporter 1 (OCT1) variants and severe intolerance to metformin in people with Type 2 diabetes. The aim of this study was to explore the association of OCT1 reduced-function polymorphisms with common metformin-induced gastrointestinal side effects in Type 2 diabetes.

methodsThis prospective observational cohort study included 92 patients with newly diagnosed Type 2 diabetes, incident users of metformin. Patients were genotyped for two common loss-of-function variants in the OCT1 gene (SLC22A1): R61C (rs12208357) and M420del (rs72552763). The association of OCT1 reduced-function alleles with gastrointestinal side effects was analysed using logistic regression.

resultsForty-three patients (47%) experienced gastrointestinal adverse effects in the first 6 months of metformin treatment. Interestingly, the number of OCT1 reduced-function alleles was significantly associated with over two-fold higher odds of the common metformin-induced gastrointestinal side effects (odds ratio = 2.31, 95% confidence interval 1.07-5.01, P = 0.034).

conclusionsIn conclusion, we showed for the first time the association between OCT1 variants and common metformin-induced gastrointestinal side effects. These results confirm recent findings related to the role of OCT1 in severe metformin intolerance, and suggest that high inter-individual variability in mild/moderate and severe gastrointestinal intolerance share a common underlying mechanism. These data could contribute to more personalized and safer metformin treatment.

Indexed as

Genetic Predisposition to DiseasePolymorphism, GeneticAgedAllelesAmino Acid SubstitutionBosnia and HerzegovinaCohort StudiesDiabetes Mellitus, Type 2FemaleGastroenteritisGene DeletionGenetic Association StudiesHumansHypoglycemic AgentsMaleMetforminHypoglycemic AgentsMetforminOrganic Cation Transporter 1

Identifiers

PMID26605869
PMCPMC5064645
OpenAlexW2181174026

What OpenQuestion holds

Texttitle and abstract
LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.