Metformin could increase lifespan

Health

Aug 8, 2014

According to a large-scale study conducted by researchers at Cardiff University, type 2 diabetes patients treated with metformin live longer than people without the disease.

The surprising benefits of metformin could be expanded for use in non-diabetics.

The study was published in the journal Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism.

Metformin’s attributes had been circulating within the scientific community, and the findings of the Cardiff University study not only build on its benefits but are of particular interest due to the massive sample size of 180,000 participants.

Researchers compared survival rates of type 2 diabetes patients taking metformin, a first-line therapy, with those of patients on a less-prescribed diabetes drug called sulphonylurea, known for undesirable side effects such as weight gain and hypoglycemia.

“What we found was illuminating,” said lead author Prof. Craig Currie from Cardiff University’s School of Medicine.

According to Dr. Craig Currie, patients undergoing metformin treatment exhibited small yet statistically important survival increases by comparison to non-diabetics.

As for those treated with sulphonylureas, their rate of survival was consistently reduced when compared to that of non-diabetics.

Researchers used data from the UK Clinical Practice Research Datalink, representing around 10% of the UK population.

They identified 78,241 patients who were prescribed metformin as a first-line therapy and 12,222 patients prescribed a sulphonylurea as a first-line therapy.

Each patient was then compared to a non-diabetic.

Patients with type 2 diabetes are often forced to resort to more aggressive treatment options as their disease progresses, so a long life expectancy is no guarantee, although Dr. Craig Currie plans to concoct a long-term treatment plan for diabetics to circumvent this transition.

Metformin is a cheap drug and has exhibited preventative capabilities in the domains of cancer and cardiac disease.

Dr. Craig Currie points out that it can prevent those at risk for diabetes from actually developing the disease and he says his findings indicate that the drug could be beneficial for those with type 1 diabetes.

Metformin linked to long life in mice study

Health

Jul 31, 2013

Diabetes drug metformin has anti-ageing effects and extends the life of male mice, a new research suggests.

Scientists believe metformin may mimic the effects of extreme calorie restriction.

This regime, which is based on eating a very low calorie diet, is thought to promote healthy ageing.

The human implications of the study are unclear, the researchers report in the journal, Nature Communications.

Rafael de Cabo, of the National Institute on Ageing in Baltimore, Maryland, said calorie restriction in laboratory animals had been shown to increase their lifespan.

His team is searching for interventions – such as a drug – that can mimic these effects.

Diabetes drug metformin has anti-ageing effects and extends the life of male mice

Metformin is one of the most widely prescribed treatments for type-2 diabetes, which occurs mainly in people above the age of 40. It is also used to treat metabolic syndrome, a combination of diabetes, high blood pressure and obesity.

Previous work has shown that metformin can extend the lifespan of simple organisms such as worms, but studies in flies and mammals have given conflicting evidence.

The scientists gave one of two different doses of metformin to middle-aged male mice and found that lower doses increased lifespan by about 5%, and also delayed the onset of age-associated diseases. But they said the higher dose of metformin was toxic and reduced the lifespan of mice.

Further studies were needed to determine if metformin has any effect on human health and lifespan, said Dr. Rafael de Cabo.

“These are very promising results that need to be translated to humans via clinical studies,” he said.

He said the best current advice was to eat a good diet and exercise.

“Right now the best that we can say is probably what your grandmother told you,” Dr. Rafael de Cabo.

“Eat a good diet and exercise are the only two things that we know for sure that they work very well in humans.”