Diabetes drug found to have anti-ageing properties

Australian researchers have discovered that metformin, a common anti-diabetic drug, could have anti-ageing properties which could lead to longer, healthier lifespans. Their work has been published in the journal Ageing Research and Reviews.

As noted by lead researcher Dr Jared Campbell, from Macquarie University, the development of anti-ageing drugs is a time-consuming and costly process. By repurposing established drugs, proven to be safe for consumption and with a wealth of data on their effects already gathered, progress can be greatly accelerated.

Dr Campbell and his colleagues chose to concentrate on metformin, a drug for type 2 diabetes which has already been documented to increase lifespans in animals. Analysing 53 separate pieces of research, their study compared diabetic patients being treated with metformin to the general population and non-diabetic patients. They also compared diabetic patients being treated with metformin to diabetic patients managing their diabetes through other means.

“The results showed that people taking metformin had significantly lower mortality compared to those who were not,” Dr Campbell revealed.

Of course, an increased lifespan does not necessarily mean better quality of life. In the case of metformin, however, the news was doubly good.

“[The drug] appears to be slowing the progression of the ageing process, delaying the onset of chronic diseases and extending the human health span,” Dr Campbell said.

“We also found that people with diabetes taking metformin had significantly lower incidences of cancer and cardiovascular disease.”

While experimental research is needed before metformin can be deemed an effective intervention for ageing, Dr Campbell is excited about the broad potential of the drug. As the most commonly used drug to treat type 2 diabetes, it is plentiful and low cost — thus indicating that it would quicker and easier to implement as an intervention for ageing than previously unutilised drugs.

“The ageing population has highlighted the importance of reducing the burden of chronic diseases and extending health spans,” Dr Campbell said. “If these properties can be produced by currently available medication, we can succeed in this goal much sooner.”