diabetes/” title=”New drug shown to be effective in treating type 2 …”>Metformin: A Common Diabetes Drug Shows Promise in Extending Lifespan
A decades-old drug used to treat type 2 diabetes, metformin, may also hold the key to a longer, healthier life, according to new research from the US and Germany. The study suggests metformin doesn’t just manage blood sugar, but may substantially increase a womanS chances of reaching age 90.
Researchers analyzed data from a long-term study of postmenopausal women, comparing those taking metformin (219 participants) with those taking sulfonylureas, another common diabetes medication (219 participants). After an average of fifteen years of follow-up, women on metformin demonstrated a 30% lower risk of death before reaching 90 years old.
This finding supports the growing scientific belief that metformin’s benefits extend far beyond diabetes management. it’s increasingly viewed as a “gerotherapeutic” – a substance capable of slowing biological aging. Previous research indicates metformin can reduce DNA damage, activate longevity-associated genes, and even mitigate brain decline.
While promising, researchers caution against definitive conclusions. The study wasn’t a randomized controlled trial, meaning women weren’t randomly assigned to drug groups, preventing a clear demonstration of cause and effect. The absence of a placebo group and the relatively small sample size also limit the study’s conclusions.
Though, the exceptionally long follow-up period – significantly longer than most clinical trials – provides valuable insight into how a treatment impacts actual lifespan.
Rejuvenation Pill?
The study authors state, “Metformin affects multiple aging mechanisms and has therefore long been proposed as a drug that could extend human lifespan,” and confirm their findings show metformin use correlated with increased longevity in women with type 2 diabetes compared to sulfonylureas.
Whether metformin truly deserves the label of a “rejuvenation pill” requires further investigation. Nevertheless, these results bolster the emerging field of geroscience, which posits that biological aging is a process that can be influenced. Slowing this process, researchers believe, could lead to not only longer lives, but crucially, healthier ones.
