Volume 10, Issue 1, September – October 2011; Article-024 ISSN 0976 – 044X International Journal of Pharmaceut ical Sciences Review and Research Page 147 Available online at www.globalresearchonline.net K. J. Wadher 1 * , R. P. Kalsait 1 , R. B. Kakde 2 , M . J. Umekar 1 1 Smt. Kishoritai Bhoyar College of Pharmacy, New Kamptee, Nagpur 02, India. 2 University Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Mahatma Jyotiba Fule Shaikshanik Parisar University Campus, Nagpur 33, India. Accepted on: 01-06-2011; Finalized on: 30-08-2011. ABSTRACT Diabetes mellitus is a chronic condition prevalent worldwide. It is estimated that more than 246 million individuals have diabetes, with this number expected to increase to 366 million by the year 2030. The chronic hyperglycemia of diabetes is associated with long term damage to various organs, including the eyes, kidneys, nervous system, heart, and vasculature. India has a long history regarding the epidemiology of diabetes. In an effort to optimize glycemic control and also to reduce the burden of diabetic complications, several classes of oral hypoglycemic agents have been developed. Metformin has now been on the market for more than 50 years and has been established as the first-line agent of choice for the management of type 2 diabetes. In this way, metformin is anticipated to reduce insulin resistance, contribute to weight loss, and play a significant role in the improvement of cardiovascular outcomes. Keywords: Metformin, Diabetes, Polycystic ovary syndrome, Hyperglycemia. INTRODUCTION During the last 20 years type 2 diabetes mellitus has become a major health issue reaching epidemic proportions. 1 It has recently been estimated that nearly 6% of the world’s adult populations are affected by this condition. 2 As a result, patients have a considerably increased risk of vascular disease, which may affect macrovascular, i.e. cerebrovascular, coronary and peripheral arterial disease and microvascular disease, i.e. retinopathy, neuropathy and nephropathy. 3,4 Overall, these chronic vascular complications lead to increased morbidity and mortality. 5 Diabetes mellitus is a chronic condition prevalent worldwide. It is estimated that more than 246 million individuals have diabetes, with this number expected to increase to 366 million by the year 2030. 6 The chronic hyperglycemia of diabetes is associated with long term damage to various organs, including the eyes, kidneys, nervous system, heart, and vasculature. In addition, it is among the leading causes of blindness and renal failure worldwide. 7, 8 It is the fourth leading cause of death by disease and every 10 seconds a person dies from diabetes-related causes in the world. Each year, over three million deaths worldwide are tied directly to diabetes. Type 2 diabetes is characterized by both disorders of insulin activity as well as inadequate insulin production by the pancreatic beta cells, 9 and is the most common form of diabetes, comprising 90% to 95% of all diabetes cases. 10 It is a disorder that affects the way the body uses digested food for growth and energy. Normally, the food one eats is broken down into glucose, a form of sugar. The glucose then passes into the bloodstream, where it is used by the cells for growth and energy. For glucose to reach the cells, however, insulin must be present. Insulin is a hormone produced by the pancreas, a fist-sized gland behind the stomach. Most people with type 2 diabetes have two problems: insulin resistance — a condition in which muscle, liver, and fat cells do not use insulin properly and reduced insulin production by the pancreas. As a result, glucose builds up in the blood, overflows into the urine, and passes out of the body, never fulfilling its role as the body’s main source of fuel. India the diabetes capital of the world India has a long history regarding the epidemiology of diabetes. Charaka Samhita, the ancient Indian medical treatise, describes this condition and suggests that being obese was a major risk factor. 11 Diabetes has emerged as a major healthcare problem in India having the highest number of diabetic patients in the world posing an enormous health problem in the country. According to the International Diabetes Federation, there were an estimated 40 million persons with diabetes in India in 2007 and this number is predicted to rise to almost 70 million people by 2025. It is estimated that every fifth person with diabetes will be an Indian. Due to these sheer numbers, the economic burden due to diabetes in India is amongst the highest in the world. The real burden of the disease is however due to its associated complications which lead to increased morbidity and mortality. The International Diabetes Federation estimates that the number of diabetic patients in India more than doubled from 19 million in 1995 to 40.9 million in 2007. It is projected to increase to 69.9 million by 2025. The World Health Organization estimates that mortality from diabetes and heart disease cost India about $210 billion every year and is expected to increase to $335 billion in the next ten years. These estimates are based on lost M ETFORM IN: A REVIEW ON THERAPEUTIC ROLE IN DIABETES M ELLITUS AND CARDIOVASCULAR DISORDER Review Article