The Antidiabetic Drug Metformin and Male Reproductive Function: An Overview

Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a metabolic disorder characterized by chronic hyperglycemia resulting from defects in insulin action, insulin secretion, or both. These defects lead to disturbances in carbohydrates, lipid and protein metabolism causing systemic complications and co-morbidities, particularly in renal and cardiovascular systems. This disease is reaching pandemic proportions and a recent report estimated that more than 300 million of people worldwide already have DM and, alarmingly, some projections suggest that the number of diabetic patients will reach nearly 600 million by the year 2035.