Placebo‐controlled Trial of the Effects of Guar Gum and Metformin on Fasting Blood Glucose and Serum Lipids in Obese, Type 2 Diabetic Patients

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Abstract
Nineteen obese patients with Type 2 diabetes mellitus were treated for periods of 3 months with placebo, guar gum (5 g three times daily) and metformin (500 mg three times daily) in a randomized double‐blind, double‐placebo, cross‐over study. Both active agents decreased fasting blood glucose from 11.4 ± 3.7 mmol l−1 (mean ± SD) to 8.6 ± 2.8 mmol l−1 on metformin (p−1 on guar gum (p−1 (geometric mean (+ SD, ‐ SD)) to 0.43 (+ 0.58, − 0.25) mmol l−1, (p 6.5 mmol l−1 decreases in serum triglycerides from 3.29 (+ 3.27, − 1.64) to 2.46 (+ 2.55, − 1.25) mmol l−1 (p−1, p<0.01) due to an effect on low density lipoproteins. These differential effects may be important in planning therapy when hyperlipidaemia accompanies Type 2 diabetes.