Metformin in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus and heart failure: a review

Diabetes mellitus is a major, global problem. Among the numerous complications of diabetes, there is increasing concern over the coexisting heart failure. Metformin is the most frequently used oral antidiabetic drug that is considered to be safe and effective in the management of type 2 diabetes mellitus. Since the publication of the UK Prospective Diabetes Study, it has been suggested that metformin might improve cardiovascular prognoses. Results from available studies have shown that metformin therapy in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus and heart failure was associated with improved clinical outcomes when compared with other oral antidiabetic agents, insulin, or lifestyle management. However, there have been no randomized controlled trials evaluating the influence of metformin use on clinical outcomes in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus and heart failure. New evidence from large cardiovascular outcome trials that showed a reduction in heart failure hospitalization for SGLT2 inhibitors caused changes in recommendations on the management of hyperglycaemia. Currently, the European Society of Cardiology recommends sodium-glucose co-transporter 2 inhibitors in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus and heart failure or at high risk for heart failure, as a first choice in drug naïve patients, or as a second drug if the patient is already on metformin. The aim of our study is to review the current state of knowledge about the position of metformin in the treatment of patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus and heart failure.

Evaluation of methods to estimate production, biomass and turnover of ectomycorrhizal mycelium in forests soils : A review

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Status of Biodiversity in the Baltic Sea

The brackish Baltic Sea hosts species of various origins and environmental tolerances. These immigrated to the sea 10,000 to 15,000 years ago or have been introduced to the area over the relatively recent history of the system. The Baltic Sea has only one known endemic species. While information on some abiotic parameters extends back as long as five centuries and first quantitative snapshot data on biota (on exploited fish populations) originate generally from the same time, international coordination of research began in the early twentieth century. Continuous, annual Baltic Sea-wide long-term datasets on several organism groups (plankton, benthos, fish) are generally available since the mid-1950s. Based on a variety of available data sources (published papers, reports, grey literature, unpublished data), the Baltic Sea, incl. Kattegat, hosts altogether at least 6,065 species, including at least 1,700 phytoplankton, 442 phytobenthos, at least 1,199 zooplankton, at least 569 meiozoobenthos, 1,476 macrozoobenthos, at least 380 vertebrate parasites, about 200 fish, 3 seal, and 83 bird species. In general, but not in all organism groups, high sub-regional total species richness is associated with elevated salinity. Although in comparison with fully marine areas the Baltic Sea supports fewer species, several facets of the system's diversity remain underexplored to this day, such as micro-organisms, foraminiferans, meiobenthos and parasites. In the future, climate change and its interactions with multiple anthropogenic forcings are likely to have major impacts on the Baltic biodiversity