Getting older – and the biological breakdown that comes with ageing – is seemingly unavoidable. But what if you could slow, or even reverse, the ageing process with a drug? New research suggests this may be possible using a common diabetes medication.
Metformin is the most commonly prescribed medication for treating type 2 diabetes in the world. It lowers blood glucose levels by reducing how much glucose is released from the liver, and by helping the cells of your body to absorb more glucose from the bloodstream.
It’s been in use as a diabetes treatment for more than 60 years and now research has demonstrated metformin can also be effective at slowing the ageing process, countering the effects of many age-related diseases and extending people’s lifespan.
The results have researchers wondering if this low-cost, mass-produced drug could be the key to increased life expectancy for us all and have begun extensive trials of the drug to determine its effects on lifespan.
What is metformin?
Metformin is a prescription medication used to treat type 2 diabetes and is often the first drug to be prescribed after a diabetes diagnosis.
The drug is notable for its ability to reduce levels of low-density lipoprotein (LDL or ‘bad’) cholesterol and unlike insulin, won’t cause weight gain or risk blood glucose levels falling too far.
Metformin has also been shown to reduce inflammation and promote cellular repair processes.
And it’s precisely these effects that researchers believe make metformin effective at extending life in general.
Can metformin really extend life?
That’s what science would like to know for sure. Wake Forest University Medical School in the US has set up the Targeting Aging with Metformin (TAME) trial to measure the drug’s effectiveness against a number of age-related conditions, and in turn, a person’s lifespan.
The TAME study will recruit more than 3000 people aged between 65 and 79 and follow them for six years through clinical trials. These trials will test whether metformin delays development or progression of age-related chronic diseases—such as heart disease, cancer, and dementia.
Studies already exist showing metformin’s positive effect on lifespan in mice, fruit flies and even nematode worms. But precious little on it effects on human lifespans.
There is existing evidence of metformin’s impact on conditions such as cardiovascular disease and certain cancers, but no comprehensive study has looked at metformin’s possibilities in the same way the TAME study will.
The researcher say they hope the trial will provide a “proof-of-concept that ageing can be treated, just as we treat diseases.”
“Metformin may influence metabolic and cellular processes that are associated with the development of age-related conditions.”
Have you ever been prescribed metformin? Has it had any noticeable effect on your health? Let us know in the comments section below.
Also read: What is type 1.5 diabetes?
