Metformin-induced changes in the gut microbiome and plasma metabolome are associated with cognition in men

Background: An altered gut microbiome characterized by reduced abundance of butyrate producing bacteria and reduced gene richness is associated with type 2 diabetes (T2D).An important complication of T2D is increased risk of cognitive impairment and dementia.The biguanide metformin is a commonly prescribed medication for the control of T2D and metformin treatment has been associated with a significant reduction in the risk of dementia and improved cognition, particularly in people with T2D.Aim: To investigate the associations of metformin use with cognition exploring potential mechanisms by analyzing the gut microbiome and plasma metabolome using shotgun metagenomics and HPLC-ESI-MS/MS, respectively.