A common diabetes drug has been found not only to lower blood sugar, but also LDL “bad” cholesterol in a new German study.

In an analysis of more than 1,800 patients with Type 2 diabetes, researchers at Helmholtz Zentrum München and German Diabetes Center Düsseldorf found those taking Metformin had significantly decreased levels of cholesterol, linked to heart disease

“Our study suggests that Metformin might indeed have an additional beneficial effect with regards to cardiovascular diseases among the Diabetes patients," said lead researcher Tao Xu, M.D.

The Helmholtz scientists now plan to research precisely how Metformin, which has been used to treat diabetes for more than 50 years, works on the molecular level.

"Until now the exact mechanism is unclear. Thus, we want to continue our contribution to its decryption," said researcher Stefan Brandmaier, M.D.

The study was published in the journal Diabetes Care.