This cheap drug could slow aging: scientists

health

by alexandra klausner

Cheap drugs used to treat diabetes could help people live longer, healthier lives, scientists believe.

Metformin lowers blood sugar levels, helps treat type 2 diabetes, and may also protect against cancer, cognitive decline, and heart disease.

This is due to its anti-inflammatory properties, NPR reported.Some insurance plans cost less than $1 per day.

Scientists are testing their hypothesis in a study called the TAME trial to see if metformin can slow aging and prevent disease in healthy older adults. The six-year trial aims to enroll 3,000 people aged 65 to 79.

Shari Cantor, the mayor of West Hartford, Conn., and her husband, Michael Cantor, an attorney, both take metformin and believe the drug is helping them improve their lifestyles. Both are in their mid-60s.

Michael started taking the drug 10 years ago to manage his weight and blood sugar levels, and Shari started taking it through the pandemic after hearing it could prevent infections.

“I tell all my friends about it. We all want to live a high quality life for a little longer if we can,” Michael told NPR.

Aging researchers also weighed in.

“We don’t know if metformin will extend a person’s lifespan, but the evidence that exists suggests that it is very likely.” Steven Austad said.

Research suggests that metformin reduces the risk of blood, urinary, and gastrointestinal cancers.

“It was a bit of a shock,” Austad said.

He also pointed to a British study that found the drug lowered the risk of dementia in people taking medication for type 2 diabetes. People taking metformin also had a reduced risk of death from cardiovascular disease.

Austad and other researchers pushed for clinical trials because most of the age-related effects of metformin are observational.

“A bunch of us went to the FDA and asked them to approve a trial of metformin. If you can prevent multiple problems at the same time, as we think we can do with metformin, it’s almost the ultimate in preventive medicine.” “It will be,” Austad said.

Although the Kanters say they have not experienced any negative side effects, some metformin users have reported having trouble building new muscle and suffering from vitamin B deficiencies.