Popular Diabetes Drug Linked to Longer Life
Scientists are increasingly exploring drugs called gerotherapeutics, treatments that may slow down aging and help people live longer, healthier lives, the Journal of Gerontology: Medical Sciences reported.
One of the most promising candidates is metformin, a widely used medication for type 2 diabetes. Researchers are especially interested in metformin because it appears to influence several key processes related to aging.
In a new multi-institutional study, scientists investigated whether metformin could actually help people live longer.
Focusing on postmenopausal women with type 2 diabetes, the study found that those who took metformin were more likely to reach age 90 or older when compared to those using sulfonylureas, another type of diabetes drug.
The study’s key finding is that the use of metformin is associated with a 30% lower risk of death before age 90 compared to the use of sulfonylurea. However, because metformin was not compared to a placebo, future studies are needed to determine the underlying cause of this association.
Researchers analyzed data from the Women’s Health Initiative (WHI), a large, national cohort study with over 30 years of follow-up, funded by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute at the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
The WHI, which recently had its NIH funding reinstated, has led groundbreaking research in women’s health since the 1990s, generating findings that have shaped clinical practice and public health policies in the United States. Some key facts about WHI:
161,808 women (ages 50-79) were enrolled in WHI’s studies in the mid-1990s across 40 clinical centers nationwide.
Over 42,000 participants (ages 78-108) remain actively involved today.
WHI provides a unique and comprehensive resource for studying disease risks, early detection, prevention, and aging-related health outcomes.
It has resulted in over 2,400 scientific publications exploring key aging-related health factors.
As for the current study, led by Associate Professor Aladdin H. Shadyab, Ph.D., M.P.H., and Distinguished Professor Andrea LaCroix, Ph.D., M.P.H., at University of California San Diego Herbert Wertheim School of Public Health and Human Longevity Science and School of Medicine, the authors note that these findings contribute to a growing understanding of metformin’s potential role in promoting human health and longevity.
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