Metformin is one of the most recommended drugs used as first-line therapy for type 2 diabetes and has been called by some the "aspirin of the 21st century" because, in addition to managing high blood glucose levels, it is said to act on a much wider range of medical conditions, including various forms of cancer, obesity, liver and heart disease, as well as various neurodegenerative and kidney diseases.
But according to Chinese scientists, metformin can also delay the aging process. This conclusion was reached by researchers from the Institute of Zoology and the Institute of Genomics in Beijing, who conducted a rigorous 40-month study on monkeys.
This inexpensive diabetes drug actually slows aging and is particularly effective at delaying the effects of brain aging.
Neuronal activity resembled that of monkeys six years younger, corresponding to about 18 human years, and the animals showed improved cognitive function and better preserved liver function, according to the study published in the journal Cell.
Data so far on worms, rodents, flies and humans taking metformin suggest that it may have anti-aging effects. However, until now it has been unclear whether its potential anti-aging effects are achieved by lowering blood sugar or through a separate mechanism.
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