There’s new evidence that a commonly prescribed diabetes drug, metformin, may also help promote healthy aging.
A diabetes drug’s anti-aging effects
Previous research found that metformin might help a variety of conditions, including cancer, obesity, nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, polycystic ovary syndrome and metabolic syndrome. The diabetes drug also appears to have the ability to protect bone, especially in early rheumatoid arthritis.
For the new study, a team of researchers from three organizations—the Scripps Research Institute, Weill Cornell Medical College and the Salk Institute for Biological Studies—wanted to better understand how the diabetes drug metformin might worth through signaling pathways independent of the AMPK pathway.
They studied the benefits of metformin through its interaction with two pathways: MAPKAPK2 and protein kinase D. They found hundreds of kinases that rapidly respond to metformin and switch cell processes on and off. In addition, the scientists identified cell mechanisms and new targets controlled by the AMPK pathway, which may also be controlled by metformin.
“The results broaden our understanding of how metformin induces a mild stress that triggers sensors to restore metabolic balance,” explains Professor Reuben J. Shaw, “explaining some of the benefits previously reported, such as extended healthy aging in model organisms taking metformin.”
More research needs to be done and the researchers already have plans to study MAPKAPK2 and protein kinase D to determine how metformin might benefit those without diabetes.
What is metformin?
Combined with diet and exercise, metformin is a type 2 diabetes medicine that helps diabetics age 10 and over manage their blood sugar. It’s been used for more than 60 years to help type 2 diabetes reach their A1C goal.
Metformin can cause some side effects, including nausea, diarrhea and upset stomach, but it has been determined to be relatively safe. If you’re on it, talk to your doctor about lactic acidosis, a serious condition that’s caused by a build-up of lactic acid in the blood.
