Hi Parker, Thank you for your very perceptive query. I am cardiologist and a significant of patients coming with coronary heart disease have diabetes. After, reading your question I consulted half a dozen text books about the most commonly used drug for diabetes. And, every text book stated that yes Metformin can cause slow heart rate. Well, I might have continued with prescription of Metformin or prescribed the drug in a newly diagnosed diabetes but had never did any patient come back with Heart Rate of 36 (or might have come and I would have thought this is due to cardiovascular drug or disease). In your situation, consult the doctor, my feeling is if Diabetes needs only 1000 mg of Metformin to control it can be controlled with proper diet, exercise and spacing of meals (never taking large quantity in one go, cut down on alcohol to the point of nil and avoid foods with high glycemic index which raise blood sugar almost immediately after intake for example refined sugar). Take Care and thank you. Good Luck Dr Anil Grover Cardiologist