In recent years, a possible effect of metformin on the aging process has been evaluated for two main reasons. On the one hand, data obtained from both humans and animals have suggested that metformin may be able to slow aging and increase healthy lifespan. On the other hand, the decades of clinical use of this molecule in the treatment of type 2 diabetes have made it possible to determine that its side effects remain limited.
Use of the Animal Models
In animal models, as summarized, several studies have shown that treatment with metformin can prolong life expectancy by 4 to 40% depending on the models and administration regimens. It should be noted, however, that high doses of metformin could be toxic and therefore did not lead to an increase in lifespan in mice. Other studies using high doses of metformin in Drosophila and rats have not demonstrated any effect of this molecule on the lifespan of animals. You can Contact us to learn more with the use of the NMN powder.
- In humans, one of the methods of evaluating the effect of metformin on aging would be to determine whether its administration generally decreases the number of age-related diseases. Several clinical trials and observational studies have suggested that this is indeed the case:
- A clinical trial conducted by the Diabetes Prevention Program showed that metformin reduced the incidence of type 2 diabetes by 30%;
- Several clinical trials have also shown that metformin can have a positive effect on several cardiovascular risk factors in diabetic subjects. However, contradictory results have been obtained in non-diabetic patients for whom no effect of metformin on various cardiovascular parameters has been demonstrated;
The Right Effects
An effect of metformin on cancer incidence and mortality has also been suggested by several epidemiological studies. However, two Meta-analyzes gave conflicting results on this subject. Several clinical trials are currently underway to evaluate metformin as an adjunct to cancer therapy.
Studies have also suggested that treatment with metformin may preserve cognitive function. However, another study rather suggested a deleterious effect of the treatment on cognitive functions but this analysis would seem to present different methodological biases.
Conclusion
Finally, researchers have shown, surprisingly, that diabetic patients treated with metformin have a higher survival rate than that of people without diabetes. However, another study did not identify a statistically significant difference in survival between diabetic patients treated with metformin and untreated patients. As can be seen, the impacts and appropriate modes of administration of metformin apart from its primary indication, the treatment of diabetes, therefore remain to be confirmed today.
